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Cheerleading

Ward Melville coed varsity cheerleading team soars to new heights

by Bill Landon - February 3, 2025

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By Bill Landon

In an eight-team cheer competition at Eastport South Manor High School Saturday afternoon, Ward Melville was the class of the field in the coed cheer division. The Patriots, the 2024 NYSPHSAA state champion edged out Walt Whitman, the third place finisher, with a cumulative score of 86.35 points and East Islip, the runner up, with 87 points to capture top honors with a score of 90.65.

Ward Melville retakes the mat Feb. 15 for the Suffolk County Championship final at Sachem East High school with an eye on the 2025 NYSPHSAA championship on March 8.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Rocky Point cheer team named national champions

by Press Release - February 24, 2024

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RP Rocky Point Cheer Team Named National Champs — Rocky Point varsity cheer team. Photo courtesy RPSD.

The Rocky Point varsity cheerleading team placed first in Small Division II at the Universal Cheer Association National High School Cheerleading Championships on Feb. 9-12 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.

Throughout the weekend the team competed against over 90 teams. Competing three times with zero deductions in their routine. Rocky Point also won this award in 2020.

Congratulations to the team members and coaches Samantha Ferrara and Jessica Fleischer, both winning a national championship in their first season. Coach Ferrara was a seventh grader on the Rocky Point varsity team when they won their third national title in 2014 under the tutelage of coach Anna Spallina. She is in an elite group of cheer coaches who have won a national championship as both a cheerleader and a coach.

Winning team members are Ariana Amato, Kaylee Gallino, Abby Rae Hughes, Samantha Morelli, Sophia Musraca, Caiden Palank, Alexis Polaski, Ella Reisinger, Reese Rogers, Alison Rubinetti, Callie Russell, Edie Sternkopf, Adrianna Tavolaro, Ella Velazquez, Avery Ward and Scarlett Ward.

“This team continually displays tremendous effort and sets high standards for winning,” Rocky Point athletic director Jonathon Rufa said. “The girls began the year knowing that a national championship was possible for Rocky Point and they continued to gain confidence, power and focus throughout the season to achieve one of their championship goals.”

Cheers to victory: Suffolk County’s top cheerleading teams vie for state championship bid

by Bill Landon - February 23, 2024

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By Bill Landon

It was the elite 11 cheerleading teams who made it to the Suffolk County finals at Sachem East High School Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Class A and coed competitions looking to punch their ticket to the state championship round next month.

Centereach High School team dazzled the fans in their 2 1/2 minute routine followed by Commack in front of a capacity crowd. Smithtown East took to the mat for their time in the spotlight in a spirited routine clearly happy with their performance.

Ward Melville stole the show in the coed division with an inspiring demonstration scoring 92.6 to capture the Section XI crown and with it will make the journey to the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton for the state finals March 2.

Newfield wows crowd in cheer competition

by Bill Landon - February 4, 2024

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By Bill Landon

Riverhead High School hosted a varsity cheer competition where 44 different high schools converged throughout the day on Saturday, Jan. 27, where each school showcased their school spirit in four different categories in an all-day event.

Newfield wowed the crowd in their 2 1/2 minute performance in the Class A Division collecting 70.65 points from the judges before a near-capacity audience.

Newfield retakes the mat on Saturday, Feb. 3, in another multischool competition at Hauppauge High School at 12 p.m.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Ward Melville takes first place in cheer competition

by Bill Landon - February 1, 2024

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Ward Melville varsity competes in co-ed cheer competition. Photo by Bill Landon

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By Bill Landon

The Patriots of Ward Melville was the class of the field, winning first place in the Coed Division with a rousing performance center stage in front of a packed gymnasium. Scoring 90.3 by the panel of judges, the Patriots took home top honors over second place Walt Whitman who notched a score of 79.9.

Patriot head coach Georgia Gass said she was pleased with her team’s performance. “This team works so hard day in and day out at every practice and it showed today,” she said. “They have a way of drawing everyone’s attention whenever they’re on the mat,” adding that she and her assistant coach Maggie Hurley are incredibly proud of what their team has accomplished.

The win keeps the Patriots atop the Suffolk County leader board with an 86.73 average followed by Walt Whitman at 78.01, while Half Hollow Hills rounds out the top three at 76.94.

Northport varsity cheerleaders excel in weekend double dip

by Steven Zaitz - December 9, 2022

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The Northport varsity cheerleaders competed in two separate competitions in two different states this past weekend and came out with two bids to compete on the national stage.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, they boarded a pre-sunrise bus to the Universal Cheerleading Association’s Pocono Regionals held in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where they competed in two separate divisions — Game Day and Traditional. Cheer teams from all over the Northeast strutted their stuff, and Northport placed 3rd in the Game Day category and 9th in Traditional.

Based on this performance, they earned bids to compete in both categories at the U.C.A. championship held in Walt Disney World in February 2023 — the first time an N.V.C team has ever accomplished this.

The travel-weary troupe were back at it early Sunday morning in a Suffolk County competition and placed 4th in their first local competition of the season. Host school Longwood came in first.

The team is made up of seniors Kate Sheahan, Hailey Trudwig, Hailey Smolcnop, Stephanie Downey, Bridget Caulfield, Maddie Cianelli, juniors Olivia Robert, Alexa Ehrlich, sophomores Allie Bartholomew, Alexa Garrison, Emily Nichols, Sophia Stern, Lorena Della Vecchia, Brooke Wenger, Lindsay Grabowski and eighth-grader Marley Caccamo. It is led by Coach Steph Walsh.

Homecoming pre-party cheer in Port Jefferson

by Press Release - October 21, 2022

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PJ Cheer — Students from the Port Jefferson School District. Photo courtesy PJSD

In preparation for Port Jefferson’s Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 22, the varsity cheerleaders, along with coach Sharon Gatz, hosted a cheerleading clinic for students in grades 1-6.

More than 30 students attended the clinic on Thursday, Oct. 20, where they learned an exciting cheerleading routine. The cheer clinic attendees will show off their skills with a performance during halftime of this weekend’s Homecoming football game.

“The cheer clinic was a great idea of Coach Sharon,” athletic director Adam Sherrard said. “It helped promote the cheer program, fostered relationships between students of different ages in the school district and will add to the positive environment of Homecoming.”

Miller Place places 7th in large school cheer competition

by Bill Landon - February 9, 2022

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Wildcats cheer at multi-school competition

by Bill Landon - February 8, 2022

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The Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River put on a show in a multi-school cheerleading meet placing 6th in the large school category at Centereach High School Feb. 5.

It was the last cheer competition of the regular season before the Suffolk championships Feb. 19 at Hauppauge High School.

Photos by Bill Landon