Croton Cheer Team Preps for County Championships

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – The Croton High School cheerleaders are honing their skills this month for local and regional competitions with an eye on the Westchester County Center, where the Tigers will compete in the 63rd Annual Westchester County Cheerleading Invitational on Nov. 21 and 22.

“I have always been around cheerleading throughout my life because my mom has coached teams since I was very young,” Tigers senior captain Meghan Vlad said. “Cheer is addicting and impossible to stop once you've started. There is always room to improve, the dedication and challenge it presents really drew me in besides the performance aspect of the sport.”

Fresh off last Saturday’s competition at Croton that included several other local school teams, the Tigers, coached by Susan Barringer and Stacy Vlad, are competing in sectionals this Saturday and looking forward to the County event.

“Cheerleading is very demanding, a real sport, and the County Championships are a good test for all the teams,” Barringer said. “We look forward to it every year.”

Cheerleading squads from dozens of local schools will be judged on their jumps, tumbling, partner stunts, pyramids/basket tosses, choreography, timing, projection and difficulty of their routines with trophies awarded for first and second place finishes for each of three varsity divisions, first through third place for junior varsity, and first place for middle school.

The Grand Champions trophy competition, during which the first place winners of the three varsity divisions from each day compete, will take place on Tuesday night. At the conclusion of the competition, all varsity, junior varsity and middle school squads will be eligible for the Team Spirit Award sponsored by the Westchester County Police Benevolent Association.

Westchester County Cheerleading Association scholarships will be awarded based on candidates’ academic average, a written essay, school and community involvement and cheerleading ability.

“Cheerleading is a huge commitment and, although it is true that at times it can be strenuous, it is 150 percent worth all the time and work it takes to perfect a routine,”  Co-captain Cassidy Gray said. “A routine can never be perfected, that's why my team and I spend almost every day of the week at practice working our hardest to get it to be as close to perfection as possible.”

Amy Levine has been a cheer team member at Croton since her freshmen year.

“Up until ninth grade, I performed gymnastics,” Levine said. “I loved the sport, the dedication required, and how determined I was to succeed.  The only unappealing area of gymnastics was that it was not truly a team sport. I wanted to feel like I was a part of a real team. Cheerleading is a true team sport. We rely on everyone on the team to work his or her hardest and show up with positive energy.”

Along with the two days of cheerleading, the United States Marine Corps will present the colors for the opening ceremony each evening.

Spectator admission is $8 for adults, $5 for students with school I.D. (one ticket per I.D.), and $5 for children under 12. Tickets will be sold at the County Center box office, which is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cash and all major credit cards are accepted.

The Westchester County Cheerleading Invitational is sponsored by Westchester County Parks, the Westchester County Cheerleading Association and the Westchester County Police Benevolent Association.

For more information, log on at www.countycenter.biz  or call the Westchester County Center at (914) 995-4050. 

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