Susquehannock Cheer Takes on Regional Competition

Susquehannock varsity cheer is preparing to enter a new realm: competitive cheerleading.

Rather than cheering on the sidelines of football and basketball games, these cheerleaders will now have the opportunity to compete for titles against other teams in the region at the Lancaster Convention Center on Dec. 4.

Head coach Danielle Robson is extremely excited for this chance to showcase all of the girls’ hard work and get even more recognition beyond their performances on the sideline.

“I am excited that this event is specifically for [the cheerleaders] to showcase their talent… versus a football or basketball game where [the cheerleaders] are there to support another team,” Robson said. 

Freshman Jaden Clapsadl agrees with her coach and is excited to gain more exposure with this opportunity. 

“Basketball and football cheer is so much fun, and we get to show off our skills to the school, but with competition, we get to show it off to more people and work towards something,” Clapsadl said.

If the team scores well at the regional competition, they have a chance to compete on the national level in Orlando, Florida in February. 

“I think competition cheer will help other students at Susky realize that cheerleading is definitely a sport and that we work hard at what we do,” Clapsadl said. “Being a cheerleader and leading people is something to be proud of…now with this competition team, we have more opportunities to show our school just how proud we are.”

Senior captain Jennifer Wagner thinks this expanded program will further engage the student body and increase crowd participation during the basketball season. 

“We have a new look with new uniforms, and we have many new signs and pom poms to keep the crowd engaged and get them yelling with us,” Wagner said. “Our experience on the competition team is really preparing us well for game day back at Susky.”

Coach Robson believes this experience will give the program more recognition in the athletic community and give the cheerleaders an even wider skill set. 

“I think doing competition is going to be a huge step for our program because people [will start to] identify us as part of the sports program,” Robson said. “It opens a whole new world of athleticism and showmanship that we don’t typically focus on with basketball and football.”

Wagner has been challenged by this new style, but is confident that herself and the team will excel at their competitions.

“Learning the new style of the routine has been the most difficult part…it is very sharp and precise, rather than the dancey style of our usual homecoming routines,” Wagner said. “Cheer has taught me so much about confidence and how to perform for a crowd. I am so proud of all the girls for taking on the challenge and doing such a good job these past couple months.”