Valley Independent Sentinel

Go Oxford!

by Eliot Schickler | Mar 18, 2010 10:28 pm

(0) | Commenting has expired | Send link to a friend | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Oxford, Sports

The Oxford cheerleading team is making its third trip to the New England championships in only its third year of existence on Saturday.

Oxford took ninth place two years ago with only freshmen and sophomores and sixth last year with juniors, sophomores and freshman.

This year, with three seniors on the squad, the Lady Wolverines have hopes of placing higher and possibly winning the Regional championships at Providence.

“We’re going to try to place in the top three,” Oxford coach Marie Kashuba said. “I don’t want to put pressure on them. I want them to have fun and have no regrets.”

Lady Wolverine senior co-captain Taylor Hare said, “We haven’t won one yet and it’s a lot harder competing out of state because each state has different rules. With a different group of girls and anything can happen and it’s unpredictable.”

Senior co-captain Gretchen Sciarrino said, “We added things to our routine. We have a stronger team and routine and we hope to do a lot better.”

Senior captain Jocelyn Camarra said, “We’ve been to New Englands before and have seen how it works. Since we added to our routine and know the scene, we will do better than last year. I’m excited and we will do well.”

Oxford qualified for Regionals by winning its second straight Class S title last Friday, edging second-place Derby, 159-158.

In their first year of existence, the Lady Wolverines finished third at Class S.

“I give my seniors a lot of credit because most high school girls have upperclassmen to look up to, but they never had it and I got to hand it to them,” Kashuba said. “You have to have good chemistry with cheerleading. It’s a 2.5-minute routine and there’s no halftime. I try to have them go out there unnerved because it’s counterproductive to be nervous. Every kid must have the same goal and I always tell them to go out there and have fun.”

Camarra said, “Knowing that we won was kind of nice. It’s kind of ironic to beat them again by one point [same as last year] but it’s still nice to win.”

The squad showed enthusiasm during its one minute of cheering and stunts and then stuck its dance moves and tumbling passes during the 90-second portion of performing to mixed music.

Before the Lady Wolverines took the floor, Kashuba told her seniors it was their last time performing at States and gave them all hugs. She also had the whole team do bonding rituals in which they kiss each other on the cheek and hold a rope to remind each other that they have their backs.

“We were excited to win States,” Sciarrino said. “We had high expectations but were a little shocked and overwhelmed when they called our name.”

In addition to winning Class S and shooting for the Regional title, Camarra, Hare and Stephanie Romanowski earned All-State honors.

“It feels amazing,” Hare said. “I was beyond nervous but the excitement kicks in before I take the mat and overpowers my nerves.”

Camarra said, “It was exciting to know I made it as an All-Stater for the third straight time. I wasn’t that nervous because we made videos and we had chances to go over them before submitting them.”

Also cheering for Oxford are juniors Carinne Corte-Real, Samantha Cirrincionne, Johnna D’Ambruoso, Haley Dauerty, Victoria Nichio and Kaylee Yocher, sophomores Morgan Hare, Meghan Isberg, Danielle Mazza, Casey Moran, Megan Morelli & Katelyn Whitburn and freshmen Amanda Donofrio, Jessica Fedak, Alexis Jelenik, Jessica Lewis, Amber Murray, Kaitlyn Twombly, Jonna Welsh, and Ellen Yacovelli.

Comments

view the full calendar »

News Feeds

Sponsors

Sponsors have no input into or responsibility for articles published on this site.

V.I.S. Site Design & Development