Penn-Trafford spirit squad returns to PIAA championship meet

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, January 11, 2019 | 8:24 PM

A lot can be said about going first during a competition. A young Penn-Trafford competitive spirit team hit the floor first at the WPIAL championships Jan. 5 at Hempfield and left a lasting impression with the judges.

After more than five hours of waiting around, watching and wondering if they made the cut to the state competition in Hershey, Penn-Trafford finally got word they had indeed earned a trip to the state meet.

“They loved being first,” Penn-Trafford coach Kristie Lynn said. “We didn’t have anyone to look at you and make you nervous. It’s great.”

The 2-minute, 30-second routine set to a medley of pop music that was chosen by Lynn was enough for the Warriors to finish in fourth place out of the 13-team field in the medium squad size division. The medium division is for 16-20 competitors.

“We have upped our game so much, but so has everybody else,” Lynn said.

The Warriors, who are in their sixth season in competitive cheer, finished the afternoon with a score of 85.36. Thomas Jefferson took home top honors with a score of 92.3, followed by Franklin Regional (88.6) and Shaler (88.3) to round out the top three places. All four schools, in addition to Elizabeth Forward and North Allegheny, advanced to Hershey to compete for a state title, set for Saturday, after deadline for this edition.

“Now that we have earned our bids, it is not the time to relax and be content with just getting there,” freshman Ella Coy said before the competition. “It is time to work even harder and make sure we don’t waste those bids.”

Penn-Trafford is no stranger to competing on the big stage at Hershey. Last season, the Warriors finished tied for eighth in the state with rival Hempfield. The top-10 finish was a breakthrough moment for Lynn, her Warriors and the program.

“I kind of had an idea in my head and shared it with the kids,” Lynn said. “I wasn’t going to take my kids to nationals until we finished in the top 10 in the state, and they did last year and I thought it was time to take it the next level.”

As promised, Penn-Trafford will fly south to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando to compete at the 2019 Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) National High School Championship. The competition runs from Feb. 8-10 and consists of more than 800 teams.

But before the Warriors meet go off the meet Mickey, Minnie and the gang, there’s plenty of work that needs to be done, and confidence that needs to be built.

“We’re making no changes on our routine for states,” Lynn said. “The only thing is the confidence. The other teams looked so much more confident out there.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Penn-Trafford