After last season ended, Varsity Cheer Coach Allanna Stockley saw a few things her team needed to improve on. This season, she plans on tackling those points and coming out on top.
‘Last year, the stunting wasn’t as good as they are this year,? she said. ‘That’s going to be a major improvement the public will see.?
Stockley said her fifteen girls on the team will be working on harder gymnastic skills, like liberty’s with twist cradles and double twist cradles. She also believes the teams strong tumbling skills, like back hand springs and walk-overs, will help carry them to the win.
Team captains this year are seniors Stacy Smith and Nicole Gallo and juniors Libby Ardelan and Rachel Pollack. Stockley said although they are not captains there are many leaders on the team that are not captains, including junior April Smith, senior Aleashia Capogna, junior Ashlee-Morgan Eller and junior Ashley Vanatten.
Since most of her team consists of girls she coached when they were in seventh and eighth grades, Stockely said she ‘expects them to be awesome? and that she’s really excited to see them perform in their last year.
Rigorous training at local gyms helps the girls practice their routines. They also weight lift, run and do plyometrics to keep in shape for competitions.
Stockley said the cheer team is striving to beat Lapeer West in competition this season after they won the Flint-Metro League title last year.
‘Two years ago, we were FML champs and are looking to get it back,? she said.
The cheer team competes every Saturday and will be cheering at home basketball games. December 17 is their first competition at Gross Ille for the Competitive Cheer Coaches Association Scholarship.