Salem Observer : Salem, cheerleading

In winning fall championship, Salem routine is anything but …

Salem Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:44:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Salem High School’s cheerleaders picked themselves up off the mat … literally.

After the Blue Devil pyramid collapsed during competition the week prior to the Class L fall spirit competition, the team responded by tweaking its routine during practice.

The fruits of their hard work were a state championship; the locals scored 201 out of a possible 220 points during the event hosted by Southern New Hampshire University on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Also that day, Pelham High placed fifth in the Class I event with 145 points. Second-place Pinkerton was Salem’s closest competition, earning a score of 191.

“We had some mistakes last week, so I just pulled those out and made sure it wasn’t going to happen again,” said head coach Tracy Berube. “Our pyramid I didn’t change, but we worked hard on it all week. It was pretty exciting because we’ve never fallen like that before. We knew that it couldn’t get any worse than it did.”

It was the second season in a row the Blue Devils were victorious after the squad took first during the winter competition.

The championship team included sophomores Sarah Dascoli, Jessica Hanlon, Erika Hughes, Samantha Johnston, Alexandra Philippon and Carley Reis, as well as juniors Kelly Armstrong, Kelsey Kurto, Madison Lichtmann and Jordyn Thommasi.

Stefanie Bromander, Devin Lawlor, Emily Mahoney, Lisa Nugent and Emily Spight were the team’s seniors.

“You work you butt off all season for one performance of three minutes,” said Berube. “It’s all about having a good day, and we did.”

Salem, facing tough competition, wins state cheer championship

Salem Editor — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:11:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Yes, they perform their own stunts.

The Salem High School winter spirit team, led by several experienced stunt groups, won the Class L competition on Saturday, March 14, to take the state title and continue its season at least through next weekend’s New England event.

Pelham High School finished fourth in the Class I competition, won by Pembroke Academy.

Salem’s head coach, Colleen O’Shea, said she was taken aback when her team’s firstplace finish was announced at Southern New Hampshire University, despite what she felt was a stellar performance.

“There are usually three or four teams near the top, and it could have gone to any one of them,” said O’Shea. “We’ve always been relatively good in the past and haven’t won in a few years. They weren’t expecting to win, but they were hoping for it. I was completely surprised because never before had every team competed so well.”

O’Shea’s squad has a combination of youth and veteran leadership, which was one of the main elements to the state championship season.

“I have a large group of freshmen, so the fall was kind of difficult to get the new kids in the game, but they figured it out after a season,” said O’Shea. “It helps a lot because we have kids who have been together, and a lot of them have the same stunt group from the previous season.”

After struggling in the fall, the Blue Devils came together quickly in the winter season, and O’Shea said the team’s starting point was much higher in the second campaign than the first. Particularly helpful for Salem was having stunt groups – the section of girls who perform the aerial portion of the routine – who have been working together for upwards of a year.

“It was probably the best competition that they’ve ever been in,” said O’Shea. “Their tumbling was higher up there than the other teams, and the whole pace of the routine was fast.”

Though the new Windham high school results in the loss of two members of the coach’s current freshman class, O’Shea remains optimistic.

“The kids from Salem are extremely talented,” she said. “I haven’t had this much freshman talent since the girls who are seniors now.”

Lights out – Salem wins at Kiwanis again; Pelham takes second

Salem Editor — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:33:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

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.

“The lights,” said former Salem cheerleader Danielle Cook, who cheered for the 2006 Blue Devils, last year’s Class L Kiwanis champions. “I love the lights because they make you feel like a superstar. You can’t see anyone except the judges and your coach, and it’s so much less nerve-wracking when you can’t see the audience.”

Salem repeated as Class L champs with 179.5 points. The Blue Devils, the fall spirit champions after knocking off powerhouse Pinkerton Academy, continued their success at Kiwanis; the win marked the fourth time in seven years Salem has taken home top honors at the competition.

Pelham’s head coach, Michelle Parisi, agreed with Cook in part, saying the atmosphere created by the competition’s lighting makes the night more memorable.

“This is to get away and have a good time [before preparing for states],” said Parisi. “It’s more fun, but you’re more anxious because the lights are on you and make you feel like a real entertainer.”
Parisi’s Pythons fell from the top of the Class I Kiwanis mountain. They took second, behind rival Pembroke Academy, with 146.5 points. Pelham and PA have dominated Kiwanis’ top spot since 2000, when the Spartans placed first three consecutive years before the Pythons took the title in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

While the NHIAA winter spirit competition won’t take place until Sunday, Feb. 25, Parisi said teams come into Kiwanis just as hungry to win.

“We put a bit more pressure on ourselves because we want to win so badly,” said Parisi after her team’s performance. “We have five seniors, and this is the best team I’ve ever had. Plus it’s my last year, so there was a lot of stuff riding on us winning here again. We could’ve taken first if we hadn’t fallen on that one stunt, but we still put on a show.”

Give ’em a cheer

Salem Editor — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:33:00 GMT

Salem girls take top spot at Class L championship

By Sapna Pathak

Salem went into the Class L Fall State Spirit Competition without worrying about the final outcome. The team walked away as the newly crowned Class L champions.

Head coach Colleen O’Shea and assistant coach Tracy Berube mentored a squad fueled by strong work ethic and a desire to compete at its highest level.

The result was a 15-point win over three-time defending Class L champion Pinkerton Academy, plus the joy of hoisting the title plaque in front of a packed house at the University of New Hampshire at Durham’s Whittemore Center.

“They had fun out there,” said Berube after the win on Sunday, Nov. 5. “I was watching from the sidelines and felt they really did. That’s why I was jumping all over the place during their routine. They really enjoyed themselves out there, and it showed.”

The Blue Devils tallied 190 points, while Pinkerton followed with 175. Led by seniors Giana Armano, Paige Dewhirst, Chelsea Haegle, Karissa Halloran, Stephanie Smith and Arayelle Wheaton, Salem performed a clean routine with zero deductions for safety violations.

Losing graduated seniors and adding four new freshmen were tough challenges for the Blue Devils. Indeed, rookies Stefanie Bromander, Devin Lawlor, Emily Mahoney and Emily Speight needed time to develop.

“It’s hard at first,” said Berube. “We’re trying to get a feel for them, and they’re trying to do the same. Once that’s been established, it’s all about cheering and making sure everyone’s on the same page.”

Pelham takes 15th

While Salem celebrated its new spot atop the Class L spirit mountain, Pelham, last year’s Class IMS champion, placed 15th out of 21 IMS clubs.

The meet marked the first competition for the Pythons this season, and assistant coach Michelle Parisi said that was the problem.

“At the first competition nobody’s really ready,” said Parisi. “We’re as ready as we could be, but since it’s the only competition we’ve been in this season, it’s tough.”

Head coach Amanda Augenstein added entering the tournament as the defending champions put some pressure on the girls. The Pythons came up with 126.5 points, losing 35.0 points in safety deductions.

Parisi attributed Pelham’s past success to high coaching expectations from the coaching staff. Her four newcomers are still learning about the tradition of success at PHS.

“Yes, we do have expectations coming in as last year’s winner, but we have high expectations for our own team as well,” said Parisi. “The team doesn’t settle for anything less. We really push the girls to go to their highest level, and that’s why we’ve done well before.