On Saturday, the Bridgeport High School cheerleaders will compete for the Region 2 Class AA crown and a spot in the WVSSAC state competition.
Coach Natalie Hathaway said each member of the team - four seniors, five juniors and eight freshmen – bring talent to the table.
“I feel like our team is very well rounded this year,” said Hathaway, who is assisted in coaching duties by her mom, Janet Hathaway. “We have many girls with different strengths and it balances out well.”
To be held at Robert C. Byrd High School, the Class AA competition will begin around noon with Roane County’s team leading off. The remainder of Class AA teams competing are, in order: Lewis County, Liberty High School, Nicholas County, RCB, Clay County, Lincoln, Bridgeport, Elkins, Braxton and Herbert Hoover.
The Lady Indians have their work cut out for them, Hathaway said.
“We have a very difficult region, and truly every team in our division will be putting on a show on Saturday and that will make for a great competition,” she said.
Defending Region 2 team is RCB and Lewis County was 2017 runner-up. Both the winning team and runner-up advances to state competition. The Flying Eagles went on to claim the state Class AA championship in 2017.
Each team will perform a technical cheer – between 30 and 40 seconds in length – and a dance with a maximum length of 2 minutes 30 seconds.
A dress rehearsal and fan night will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the BHS gym. Fans are asked to come out and watch the team perform the cheer and dance prepared for this year’s competitive season. Support on fan night – and at Saturday’s competition – is important, Hathaway said.
“Especially in the music portion of our routine, the crowd yelling for the girls and cheering them on is huge and really helps them keep their energy levels up to perform to the best of their ability,” she said.
Securing a spot at states may be the task at hand, but a clean routine with 100 percent effort is the true goal, Hathaway said.
“Our main thing that we try to emphasize with the girls is just that we want for them to do their best on Saturday and be able to hit their routine,” she said. “All we can control is doing the best that we can, and the results are out of our hands from there. As long as the girls walk off the floor feeling proud of the performance that they put on, then that is all that we can ask for.”
Admission to Saturday’s regional competition is $6 for adults and $5 for students.
Eight of the Tribe’s 17 cheerleaders returned from the 2017 season. The team consists of seniors Isabelle Cunanan, Lexi Galan, Sophie DelGreco and Ashley Weber (pictured, right); juniors Miranda Kress, Lindsey Suter, Sophia Gorby, Addison Boggs and Alyson Gibson and freshmen Lilly Strait, Gyllian Wagner, Emilia Underwood, Lauran Johnston, Rylee Mullins, Amelia Duarte, Jade Nguyen and Lillian Iaquinta.
Editor’s Note:
Region 2 Class A teams will begin competing at 10 a.m. and Class AAA will begin competing at 2 p.m.
Region 2 Class A teams competing Saturday are, in order: Trinity Christian, Tucker County, East Hardy, Gilmer, Pendleton County, Doddridge, Harman, Union, Tygarts Valley, Clay, South Harrison, Notre Dame, Moorefield and Paw Paw.
Region 2 Class AAA teams competing, in order, are Spring Mills, Hedgesville, Hampshire, Musselman, Jefferson, Martinsburg and Washington.
The RCB gymnasium will be cleared between all levels of competition and spectators will pay separately for Class A, AA and AAA competition. Arriving early is highly recommended.
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