SD
Competitive Cheerleading— Something to Cheer About
Amanda Sanderson, Competitive Cheerleading Head Coach Competitive Cheerleading is a sport based on a two-minute, 30 second organized fast-paced routine that contains components of stunting, tumbling, jumps, a cheer, and dancing. The competitive cheerleading team at Upper St. Clair High School was organized three years ago by Amanda Sanderson, head coach of the cheerleading program at USC. The competitive squad consists of cheerleaders from grades nine to 12. It is required that you make the sport cheerleading squad in order to be considered for the competitive squad. At tryouts, members for the competitive squad are chosen to represent USCHS based on their talent and cheerleading skills. The 2010-11 competitive team of 20 comprises 12 returning members from the previous year and eight new members to its competitive cheerleading scene, including senior Laurel Steinberger; juniors Gabby DaPra, Mariah Doohan, Shayla Forse, Paige Gillen, Erin Kyle, and Deanna Neiser; sophomores Cheyenne Buntain, Ashley Clayton, Carly Feduska, Kelli Long, Hannah Lund, Ashley Pearson, Alexa Pituch, Alina Pituch, and Cooper Podobnik; and freshmen Nina Brajovic, Kylie Fultineer, Natalie Hesse, and Ally Sciomacco. Practices for the competitive squad’s upcoming year start each August and are in addition to the sport cheering practices and games. Competitive cheerleading is vigorous and difficult for all levels of tumbling, stunting, and jumping. From November through April, the squad usually enters five to six local and regional competitions.
During the team’s first competitive year in 2008-09, the squad took two first places, two second places, and a grand champion award at Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. In the 2009-10 competitive season, the squad went undefeated, taking five first places at all competitions, performing at the Gator Bowl halftime show, and placed as the grand champion winner at Nationals in Jacksonville, Florida. Upper St. Clair competitive cheerleading has a big name and big expectations to live up to. The 2010-11 competitive team never failed to impress with the team members’ dedication and hard work, and it has paid off. At the first competition— Pennsylvania States in Pittsburgh—the team earned second place and received the Best Jumps award. At the next competition, Steeltown Regional by Coastal Corporation, the squad took first place and received a bid to the U.S. Finals. The team took another first place and received the best tumbling award at the Three Rivers Throwdown. The team recently traveled to Columbus for the Midwest nationals, taking second place in their division. The final competition of this year, U.S. Finals, was held in Virginia Beach on April 9. Yes, competitive cheerleading is certainly something to cheer about in Upper St. Clair! n
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The first part of a difficult pyramid in the routine USC’s Competitive Cheerleading squad poses after taking first place at Coastal Corporation’s Steeltown Regional, held in Pittsburgh this spring Summer 2011
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