Pembroke News : cheerleaders

PA shakes off troubles, takes third at Kiwanis

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:34:00 GMT

MANCHESTER – Due in large part to injuries, the Pembroke Academy spirit squad was forced to change its routine every day during the week leading to the 25th annual Kiwanis cheerleading competition on Saturday, Jan. 26.

Combine that with the fact there is no fall program at the school and anyone would be hard-pressed to predict success for the Lady Spartans at the event, which took place at Southern New Hampshire University.

But then again, what’s a competition without an “overcoming adversity” story?

Shorthanded, banged up and under-prepared, Pembroke placed third in the competition with 133.5 points, losing only to upstart Bedford and perennial power Pelham.

“This has been the most resilient team I have ever coached,” said Donna Ong. “What they just did out there was unreal considering the circumstances. I’m probably the proudest coach in this building right now.”

Ong, whose squad won the Kiwanis last year, said she is having the best coaching season of her life.

There are a dozen reasons why, she added, gesturing to the screaming pack of green-and-white clad sparks behind her.

Included on the varsity roster are Jennifer Cheney, Alyssa L’Heureux, Melanie Lussier, Jennifer MacKenzie, Alyssa McQueen, Lianne Mulcahy, Kristin Palmer, Ashley Pelissier, Kayla Pouliot, Chelsea Pritchard and Ashley Schaefer. Molly Laplume was called up from the JV squad to participate in the event.

“They have incredible confidence, team spirit, and they fully understand how this sport works and that each and every one of them individually affect the whole,” she said.

Still, Ong was quick to note the Kiwanis routine wasn’t perfect. But with another month and a half before the state championship, she’s confident her team will be ready.

“Watch out,” she said. “I think you’re going to see something pretty amazing by the time states comes around.”

Class L

Though each unit showed flash and plenty of pizzazz, both Manchester Central and Memorial fell short of placing in Class L.

The Little Green dropped a couple stunts early before rebounding for a solid showing,

“We had a major injury. The last few days we’ve been reworking our whole routine because one of our fliers is down, so we had to put in someone who hasn’t flown in nine months,” said coach Alison Kivikowski. “The crowd was very receptive to them, so I think we did well, all things considered.

“I’m looking forward to getting the scores so we can get back to the gym, work on areas that we know we are deficient in and step it up a notch when we get to states.”

Competing for Central are Samantha Boucher, Erica Burley, Cassidy Clayton, Katrina Corallino, Stephanie Duval, Laura Gagne, Amanda Graham, Samantha Houle, Jessenia Heurtas, Meagan Lachance, Brittani Maclean, Cassie McQuade, Kathryn Purdy, Taylor Stone, Tiffany Sweeney, Brittany West, Jessica Wright and Elizabeth Goldthwaite.

Those representing Memorial include Chantel Acevedo, Sara Bienvenue, Nicole Bolser, Courtney Bournival, Marta Bowen, Kendra Brown, Alaina Chakmakas, Christa Cody, Rachael Lewis, Katelyn L’Heureaux Briana Mazalewski, Madison Neveu, Nicole St. Hilaire, Camilla Tafe, Katelyn Trombley and Lauren Tully.

PA ends successful, fun year with third-place finish

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:47:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Donna Ong isn’t ready to end the season; she might just keep practices running so she doesn’t have to say goodbye to this year’s team.

And her team might just keep showing up for those practices.

After four months of training, Ong’s squad wrapped up its season at this year’s NHIAA Spirit championships on Sunday, Feb. 25. The girls of Pembroke Academy placed third overall among Class I teams, with 158.5 points.

“I’ve had such a great time this year,” said Ong. “I want to pretend we’re in regionals so we can keep practicing. It’s been such a blast. This has been an unforgettable team, and they’re happy with the results of states.”

A little more than a month after taking first place at the annual Kiwanis cheerleading competition, the Spartans fell to rival Pelham, which took home top honors with 170.5 points.

Pembroke performed a clean routine but was docked five points on a safety violation when one of Ong’s cheerleaders fell during her tumbling stunt. Ong described watching her team rally around the upset girl, saying it proved Ong’s team had grew into one unit.

“Every year you hope your team turns into a team,” said Ong. “It doesn’t always happen that way, but this time it happened.

We had a celebration after states, and you wouldn’t have even known we hadn’t won the whole thing.”

Ong loses four seniors to graduation in Amy Edmonds, Brittney Grigsby, Brittany Welcome and Danielle Yeaton. The seniors addressed the team before their performance in front of the crowd at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center, saying, “We’re like sisters.”

“It was the first time my captains have come to me and asked to speak to the team before a big competition,” said Ong. “They’ve truly groomed an incredible team, and I’m not surprised at all about how they reacted to third place.”

Joining the Spartans at the competition were Manchester Memorial and Manchester Central; both competed in the Class L division.

The Little Green took home first place as a co-ed squad, with 179.0 points. Central beat out Bishop Guertin of Nashua, which placed second with 162.5 points. Memorial finished 13th with 141.5 points.

PA tops among Class I competitors at Kiwanis

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:47:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

MANCHESTER – It happens at the beginning of every winter spirit season; it doesn’t count in the final standings; participation is optional to prevent any early season injuries; and it allows other teams to see what you’ll bring to the state championship meet.

But, it’s the one competition Granite State cheerleaders look forward to most. This year’s annual Kiwanis cheer competition once again drew teams from across the state. On Saturday, Jan. 20, hundreds of cheerleaders took over Southern New Hampshire University’s athletic complex.

Hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Manchester, the competition included 28 teams from Class L, I and M/S in front of a packed house.

While teams showed up with different music, routines and cheers, all could agree on the one thing that sets Kiwanis apart from any other cheer competition.

“First off, it’s the setup of the lights,” said Pembroke Academy junior Corinne St. Laurent. “It’s very different from other competitions with the lights turned off except for the stage where the teams perform. It adds a cool atmosphere to the show when it’s like that.”

St. Laurent and her Spartan teammates had another reason to jump up and cheer when Pembroke Academy took first place in the Class I standings with 150.0 points. The Spartans placed second last year, and it was the first time Pembroke Academy earned top honors since 2002.

In Class L, Manchester Memorial placed third, behind city rival West, with 158.0 points. The Crusaders head coach, Diane McMillan, agreed with St. Laurent, recalling when she performed at Kiwanis as a high school cheerleader.

“This is a nice little ‘practice’ before the state competition,” said McMillan. “I was in Kiwanis and loved it. They do such a great job at making the girls feel good while keeping the competitive spirit alive. I mean, it’s a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of pressure because teams want to perform their best.”

While most of the cheering was done under the spotlight, Spartan fans made themselves heard, accounting for the second- highest amount of ticket sales behind Laconia, which brought the most fans.

“A state championship brings a banner to your gym, but this is just as important,” said Pembroke Academy head coach Donna Ong. “We’ve been here a lot of years, but to have so many supporters out there is just awesome. It’s what these girls deserve.”