Post by admin on Dec 4, 2007 8:12:42 GMT -5
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — One team's program is full of cheerleading tradition; the
other team was hoping that its months of hard work would pay off in the end.
Both can now call themselves national champions.
Highlighted by first-place performances by the Freehold Giants (Junior Pee Wee Small Novice Division) and the Toms River Little Indians (Junior Pee Wee Large Advanced), all six Eastern Region cheerleader squads from the Shore area placed on the first day of the 2007 Pop Warner Little Scholars National Cheer & Dance Championships at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Monday.
In the advanced division, the Toms River Angels (Junior Pee Wee Small) squad placed second, while the Millstone Eagles (Large) and Hazlet Hawks (Small) each finished third in the Novice division. In the afternoon session, the Wall Knights took third-place honors in the Small Intermediate division.
Despite a lack of experience at the championship level, Freehold Coach Lauren Curcio was hoping that her squad's first trip to the national championships would be a positive one. Instead the Giants went much further and delivered a first-place performance.
"Anything can happen when you work hard, that's been our motto all year," said
Curcio, who has been Giants coach and cheer director the past five years. "When they started announcing the winners in our division and they weren't calling our name, I looked at one of my coaches and I said, "Do you think that we finished (placed)?' When our name was called we couldn't be happier. My girls and I are still on cloud nine."
For the Toms River Little Indians, who have a total of three squads competing this week, expectations are always high. But similar to Freehold, coach Kimberly Cole-Reiger and her team had never advanced to the national competition before this year. But when the Indians took the floor Monday they looked anything but inexperienced.
"Being able to compete here in Florida has been a wonderful experience, and there is no one else I would rather be doing it with than these girls," said Cole-Reiger, now in her sixth year of coaching. "I've known most of these kids since they have been 5 years old, so this is really special. Now we are going to celebrate by going to Disney
World!"
When it comes to preparing for an event like this, many local Eastern Region
cheerleader coaches seem to have a similar approach.
"We just warm them up and try to keep up their spirits," Curcio said. "The key is to keep up their energy levels because that is pretty much what they are going to use to sell their cheer."
Millstone Eagles Junior Pee Wee Coach Bobbie Vander Gaag said: "We practice really hard. Our biggest thing is that we always try to keep our kids upbeat. At times they get nervous but we just try to keep them happy, excited and energized."
Hazlet Coach Coleen Doran was understandably proud of her team's third-place finish.
"I just tell my girls to have fun. At this point, they know what they are doing.
They love it."
The St. Bart's Buffalos Challenger cheer squad, a team made up of girls with
disabilities, once again made the Jersey Shore proud as they captivated the crowd to take home this year's Challenger Division championship trophy. For the Buffalos, based in East Brunswick, who have been cheering in the Jersey Shore for three years now, Monday marked their national championship cheerleading debut.
"To have the opportunity to come out here and perform is truly unbelievable," coach Dennis Van Orden said. "I really owe everything to my coaches. They teach the girls cheers and have great patience with them. They really do it all.
"The Jersey Shore and nationals were both great to us. They do everything for us and they really treat us like superstars. It really shows on the girls, and they really appreciate that."
The 2007 Pop Warner Little Scholars National Cheer and Dance Championships will resume today with the Pee Wee cheer competition starting at 8:30 a.m.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — One team's program is full of cheerleading tradition; the
other team was hoping that its months of hard work would pay off in the end.
Both can now call themselves national champions.
Highlighted by first-place performances by the Freehold Giants (Junior Pee Wee Small Novice Division) and the Toms River Little Indians (Junior Pee Wee Large Advanced), all six Eastern Region cheerleader squads from the Shore area placed on the first day of the 2007 Pop Warner Little Scholars National Cheer & Dance Championships at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Monday.
In the advanced division, the Toms River Angels (Junior Pee Wee Small) squad placed second, while the Millstone Eagles (Large) and Hazlet Hawks (Small) each finished third in the Novice division. In the afternoon session, the Wall Knights took third-place honors in the Small Intermediate division.
Despite a lack of experience at the championship level, Freehold Coach Lauren Curcio was hoping that her squad's first trip to the national championships would be a positive one. Instead the Giants went much further and delivered a first-place performance.
"Anything can happen when you work hard, that's been our motto all year," said
Curcio, who has been Giants coach and cheer director the past five years. "When they started announcing the winners in our division and they weren't calling our name, I looked at one of my coaches and I said, "Do you think that we finished (placed)?' When our name was called we couldn't be happier. My girls and I are still on cloud nine."
For the Toms River Little Indians, who have a total of three squads competing this week, expectations are always high. But similar to Freehold, coach Kimberly Cole-Reiger and her team had never advanced to the national competition before this year. But when the Indians took the floor Monday they looked anything but inexperienced.
"Being able to compete here in Florida has been a wonderful experience, and there is no one else I would rather be doing it with than these girls," said Cole-Reiger, now in her sixth year of coaching. "I've known most of these kids since they have been 5 years old, so this is really special. Now we are going to celebrate by going to Disney
World!"
When it comes to preparing for an event like this, many local Eastern Region
cheerleader coaches seem to have a similar approach.
"We just warm them up and try to keep up their spirits," Curcio said. "The key is to keep up their energy levels because that is pretty much what they are going to use to sell their cheer."
Millstone Eagles Junior Pee Wee Coach Bobbie Vander Gaag said: "We practice really hard. Our biggest thing is that we always try to keep our kids upbeat. At times they get nervous but we just try to keep them happy, excited and energized."
Hazlet Coach Coleen Doran was understandably proud of her team's third-place finish.
"I just tell my girls to have fun. At this point, they know what they are doing.
They love it."
The St. Bart's Buffalos Challenger cheer squad, a team made up of girls with
disabilities, once again made the Jersey Shore proud as they captivated the crowd to take home this year's Challenger Division championship trophy. For the Buffalos, based in East Brunswick, who have been cheering in the Jersey Shore for three years now, Monday marked their national championship cheerleading debut.
"To have the opportunity to come out here and perform is truly unbelievable," coach Dennis Van Orden said. "I really owe everything to my coaches. They teach the girls cheers and have great patience with them. They really do it all.
"The Jersey Shore and nationals were both great to us. They do everything for us and they really treat us like superstars. It really shows on the girls, and they really appreciate that."
The 2007 Pop Warner Little Scholars National Cheer and Dance Championships will resume today with the Pee Wee cheer competition starting at 8:30 a.m.