Newsday's All-Long Island cheerleading team 2024

Newsday’s Cheerleader of the Year: Katie Kofod, Seaford, Sr., Flyer

After her four seasons at Seaford, Katie Kofod will be looked back upon as a seminal performer in the Vikings’ program. The main flyer in the squad’s pyramids since her freshman season, Kofod was hard to miss on the mat. She embodied what it meant to be a team player and, according to coach Lisa Ferrari, she is a natural-born leader whose biggest impact was her spirit, talent and passion for the program.

But what set Kofod apart on the mat, including super elite stunts such as full up back handspring ups, front handspring ups, high to highs, hand to hands and one to ones to name a few, paled in comparison to her impact on the community as a whole.

The 12-season scholar-athlete and Newsday’s Cheerleader of the Year maintained a grade point average that placed her in the top 10 of her class. She was also involved in numerous clubs and community service projects. She also runs track in the spring.

“In all of my years of coaching, I’ve never seen someone as dedicated to being a student-athlete as Katie. She is a talent beyond that of a typical high school student,” said Ferrari, who has been with the program for 16 years. “She strived to put her academic career first while still dedicating hours of her day to be the best cheerleader and teammate she could be.”

Kofod helped bring her team to four consecutive Competitive county championships and undefeated seasons and one Game Day county championship. She has also performed at the state championship all four years, being crowned a Competitive state champion twice and a Game Day state champion as a senior.

“Regardless of the titles that Katie holds, her impact on the team goes much deeper than that,” Ferrari said.  “Katie is a driving force. She is an unmatched beacon of positivity, and she is a stand-up role model for the athletes of our programs.”

Suffolk Cheerleader of the Year: Alison Rubinetti, Rocky Point, Sr., Main base

The senior main base has contributed her versatility to Rocky Point for the past five seasons. Rubinetti competed with super elite stunts in every single section of the routine, including tumbling, stunts, and jumps.

But Rubinetti was well known by her community beyond her skills. As the recipient of Rocky Point’s Live Like Susie Award, she was acknowledged for her kindness and efforts into helping a student with Down syndrome in her cosmetology class.

“Alison is one of those athletes that her teammates trust and want to learn from,” coach Samantha Ferrara said. “Her dedication to the sport is admirable, pushing through injury and obstacles around her. Alison's best quality is not how great of an athlete she is, but how humble she is about it.”

Stephanie Calderon, MacArthur, Back spot/Main base

Calderon has been a main part of MacArthur’s success at the county and state levels for the past five seasons, mastering both maining and backing. As a main base and a back spot, Calderon perfected all super elite pyramid skills and performs elite tumbling skills.

Sophia Corpac, Ward Melville, Sr., Main base

Corpac performed all of Ward Melville’s most difficult stunting, pyramid and tumbling skills, leading the squad to both Game Day and Competitive county championships and a Competitive state title.

Gabriella Fleischer, Sachem North, Jr., Side base

Fleischer has brought elite tumbling and stunting skills to Sachem North, including a standing two back handsprings to full, a running full and super elite flipping and spinning stunts.

Angela Galvan, Freeport, Sr., Flyer

Galvan executes super elite stunts such as ground inversions to both feet, full up switch ups to both feet and all spinning stunts. Her tumbling includes round off back handspring tuck, hand tuck, standing tuck, cartwheel tuck and jumps to tuck.

Eva Guerra, Division, Sr., Back spot

A member of the varsity cheer team since her freshman year, Guerra performed elite twisting and switching skills. Her leadership and skillset helped lead Division to its first county and state titles. She will cheer at Hofstra in the fall.

Sydney Linn, Plainedge, Sr., Back spot

The four-year member performed super elite skills for Plainedge including high to high tick tocks to body position, Diamidov to hand to hand and inversion releases. Her tumbling included a roundoff whip back handspring full and roundoff full back handspring full.

Nicole Sahaidachny, Hauppauge, Sr., Flyer

Competing with a running full since her freshman year, Sahaidachny returned for her final season from an ACL and meniscus injury and competed with a back handspring full up.

Olivia Salmon, Mount Sinai, Jr., Main base

Despite initially having little cheer experience, Salmon quickly became a pivotal figure on Mount Sinai’s state championship squad, excelling not only in high-level stunting but also in tumbling.

Allyson Sesto, West Islip, Sr.

Sesto has been an integral part of the West Islip squad for the past four years. The senior captain has been a driving force who helped lead the team to a successful season with her elite stunting and tumbling skills.

Kaylee Wilko, East Islip, Sr., Base

Wilko performed the most elite stunting and tumbling skills as East Islip’s two-year captain such as Diamidovs, hand in hands and full around switch ups as well as a standing full, one back handspring to full and a whip through to full.

Nassau Coach of the Year: Cristen Marcy, Division

Marcy guided Division to its first county and state championship titles after back-to-back runner-up county finishes in 2022 and 2023.

Suffolk Coach of the Year: Victoria Aghabekian, Sachem East

After finishing fourth in the county championship last season, Aghabekian and her assistant coach and twin sister Brianna led Sachem East to its first county and state titles this season.

By Carissa Kellman

carissa.kellman@newsday.com@CarissaKellman