Seniors lead young Sachem North cheerleading squad to a state title
Sachem Norths Madison (senior) Wruck while competing in the 2019 NYSPHSAA cheerleading championships in the Gordon Field House at Rochester Institute of Technology on March 2, 2019. Credit: Photo: Mike Heath/Mike Heath
The specter of a state title was not lost on seniors Madison Wruck and Ariana Yasso. The only two seniors on a very young Sachem North cheer squad were about to go into uncharted waters and lead the Flaming Arrows to a state crown.
“It’s all about confidence and believing you can do it,” Wruck said. “We just had to go out and do our routine.”
Well, they nailed it. Sachem North won the state’s Division I Large Schools Division with its best performance of the season Saturday in the NYSPHSAA state championship at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
“That was undoubtedly our best routine by far,” said Sachem North coach Danielle Gresalfi. “We probably had one of our worst warmups and I was concerned heading out there. But I guess they knew it was the last time they’d all be together and they had some terrific energy. And they put everything they had into the routine.”
Sachem North, which scored second highest after the first round of the state tournament, was so good, they overtook host Victor in the finals.
“We got out the kinks and got after it,” said Sachem North assistant coach Jaclyn Tartaro. “We had strong stunts and we’d really turned it on in the final. It was fantastic watching the girls talking themselves through it and communicating so well.”
Sachem North, known for its strong school cheer, had plenty of support from the vocal fans who traveled more than seven hours to the event. The added dimension of fan support seemed to push the Flaming Arrows.
“That was so cool to hear everyone from our area supporting us,” Gresalfi said. “It’s a great way to end a terrific season. We compete against each other all season in Suffolk. And to see it all come together up here was awesome.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
