Franklin Regional cheer team punches ticket to states

Michael Love
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 3:18 p.m. | Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 3:18 p.m.

Submitted

The Franklin Regional varsity cheer team members are, in front, from left, Morgan Thomas and Morgan Stupar. In row two are Nicole Pavasko, Rachael Cepicka, Stephanie Kozel and Abby Smith. In row three are Brooke Aston, Nikki Bonacci, Carrie Canobbio, Amirah Gibbons and Maddison Dover. In back are KC Fazio, Jordan Scrubia, Camryn Groth, Chayla Fisher, Gina Bonacci and Catie Magister.

The Franklin Regional competitive cheerleading team was the final small varsity squad to perform its routine in front of judges at Saturday's WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championships at Hempfield High School.

The team got a chance to see a few of the other 11 in the division before they took the performance stage. Small varsity is for teams with 15 or fewer competitors.

In the end, the Panthers placed second in small varsity, fourth in Class AAA and fifth overall out of 29 teams.

The finish put it among the 15 teams who will represent the WPIAL at the PIAA championships Jan. 22 and 23 at Hershey's Giant Center.

It will be Franklin Regional's fourth straight trip to states.

“It was such a competitive meet,” Franklin Regional coach Cassie Armstrong said. “It was intense. Nobody hit a clean routine, so it was up in the air to the end. It was nerve wracking at times. It wasn't our best performance, but we did what we needed to do.”

North Allegheny, a medium varsity squad, won the Class AAA and overall titles, while Butler, a small varsity rival with Franklin Regional, was second overall.

Shaler (medium), Hopewell (large, AA champion) and the Panthers rounded out the top five.

Competitive spirit is in only its fourth year as a WPIAL-sanctioned sport. It combines elements of cheerleading — cheering, stunting, tumbling, dancing and pyramids — into a routine with a time limit of two minutes and 30 seconds

The small varsity was the first of the three divisions to perform Saturday.

Franklin Regional had to wait through the medium- and large-team performances — from 11:30 to about 3 p.m. — to find out its AAA and overall place.

“The girls were comfortable playing the waiting game (before performing),” Armstrong said. “We saw Pine-Richland and Butler. We were prepping them to get in the right mindset. We weren't telling them about some of the other routines. We just wanted the judges to see our best.”

There are 17 on the Franklin Regional team this season, and 13 competed Saturday.

Franklin Regional's season began in March and April with tryouts and the first practices. The first competition was the last weekend in October.

WPIALs was Franklin Regional's sixth competition this season.

The Panthers punched their tickets to nationals in Orlando on Feb. 6 and 7 with a winning performance at a Universal Cheerleading Association meet in Ohio on Nov. 1.

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-388-5825 or at mlove@tribweb.com.

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