Seaford, Ward Melville cheerleading teams win state Game Day championships
The Seaford cheer team competes in the final round of the state Class C game day cheer championship on Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. Credit: Cindy Schultz
TROY — As the Seaford cheerleading team anxiously awaited to perform, it knew that it had to prove that it saved its best performance for last.
Seaford ramped up the crowd of more than 2,000 at Hudson Valley Community College on Sunday afternoon and scored a 90.1 to earn its second consecutive state Game Day championship.
“Waiting our turn made us more excited because we felt like we had bigger expectations being the last team to perform,” senior back spot Marisa Patsatsis said. “It gave us more motivation and energy. It was almost easier for us to get the crowd going.”
The Vikings, who won the Class C title after competing in Class B last season, edged out reigning Class C champion Putnam Valley (Section I), which placed second. Babylon finished fourth in Class C in the semifinal round with a score of 73.9.
“We honestly didn’t know if we were going to win or not,” senior main base Hayley Kern said. “We all came off the mat gasping for air, but it was worth it.”
After competing in Game Day for the first time last season, Seaford said experience was key this time around.
“I think we were a lot more confident this year than last year,” flyer Marissa Phieffer said. “We knew exactly what we had to do this year.”
Ward Melville avenged its runner-up finish last year with a score of 90.6 — the second-highest mark of the competition — to capture the Class A crown.
“This year was our redemption year,” Emma Clontz said. “We’ve never wanted something more. After winning the state championship [last winter], we were chasing that feeling.”
Ward Melville celebrates after winning the state Class A Game Day cheerleading championship on Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. Credit: Cindy Schultz
The Patriots, who went 3-4 this season, said they wouldn’t have made it to the top without facing that adversity.
“We came up with the idea to start running for three minutes at the start of practice for discipline and endurance,” Emma Miller said. “It bonded us and built our energy up, all for this moment. It feels so good.”
“That almost made them realize that they need to push more,” Ward Melville coach Georgia Curtis said. “They were able to dust the dirt off and come back harder.”
Carey, which finished as the Class B runner-up, scored a season-high 89.3.
“We never even expected to get this far this season,” Emily Almache said. “We faced adversity as a team and just being able to be here with my team was such a blessing and means more than a win.”
The Seahawks, who had an average score of 84.35 during the season, clinched the county title last Sunday with a score of 88.5.
“Knowing that we got so close, we now have more motivation to be even better,” Kristie Amoruoso said. “Because we didn’t expect this, we proved that we are worthy of being in this spot and are looking forward to coming back next year to continue where we left off.”
Shoreham-Wading River finished fourth in Class B in the semifinal round with a score of 79.9.
Freeport, which earned its first county title this season, finished third in Class A with a score of 88.5.
“This is the experience of a lifetime. Our entire team has been working so hard for this moment and we’re all proud of each other no matter what,” back spot Nicole Hernandez said. “This left us more confident going into our traditional season.”
