Fox Chapel Area cheerleaders qualify for national cheer competition
The Fox Chapel Area High School cheerleaders have reason to cheer.
For the first time in school history, the varsity cheerleading squad earned a bid to compete at the 2023 National High School Cheerleading Championship at Disney World on Feb. 10-12.
“They were screaming in December when they found out they got a bid,” said head coach Aleta Balcer. “Every score sheet we got last year (from competitions) we just poured over the judges comments and worked from there.”
Senior Isabella Stipetich described the upcoming competition as a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ that she will remember forever.
“Cheerleading this year has been one of the best years I’ve cheered yet. This team means a lot to me, especially since it’s one of the last competitions the seniors will cheer at together,” Stipetich said.
Each participating high school cheerleading team had to qualify for a bid by competing at regional competitions in 2022.
The NHSCC began in 1980 and was created to reward cheerleaders for their work on the sidelines and to provide a venue to showcase their talents and abilities.
Fox Chapel Area will compete in the small varsity non-tumbling division. The girls are practicing as much as possible between game obligations.
“It’s a very fast-paced, hip-hop style,” Balcer said of the routine choreographed by assistant coach Krista Zotolla, a FCAHS 2017 graduate.
Krista’s mother Shelley Zottola rounds out the squad leadership team as assistant coach.
Judging criteria will include difficulty and execution of cheer, pyramid, jumps, dance, partner stunts, crowd leading and overall performance.
“I’m extremely excited to have this opportunity to compete at nationals with my team. This team has grown so much throughout the year, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made. This is a big accomplishment for us being it’s our first time going to nationals,” said senior Kathryn Billings.
Billings is a member of the competition squad as are fellow seniors Anna Li and Isabella Stipetich; juniors Fiona Brown, Mia Pietropaolo and Sophia River; sophomores Maurena Cilenti, Mary Ann Frauenholz, Gretchen Shelestak and Alexandra Vita and freshmen Catherine Conway, Trista Jackson and Emma Kurtz.
The Fox Chapel Area High School cheerleaders practice for their upcoming performance at the National High School Cheerleading Championship at Disney World on Feb. 10-12. video: @hanz_joyce @VNDNews @TribLIVE @FCASD @FoxChapelHerald pic.twitter.com/F8kPkvYVNS
— Joyce Hanz (@hanz_joyce) January 9, 2023
Representing the district as a cheerleader requires dedication and commitment, said cheer parent Cherie Lauric River of Indiana Township, whose daughter, Sophia, is on the squad.
“The girls are dedicated to practicing 2-3 hours every night year-round from one sport to the next, including summer practices. This team of young women have devoted hours, time and energy and mostly, discipline, in order to qualify for nationals. It’s been an inspiration to watch the coaches and cheerleaders push themselves to the next level to achieve this goal,” River said.
Senior Anna Li has cheered with friends Billings and Stipetich since the seventh-grade. Li described their journey as ‘crazy’ as the three seniors prepare for the competition.
“The amount of work and growth that I’ve seen throughout the years has progressed to a more competitive level. I’m so proud and thankful for all of my teammates who worked their hardest to get where we are right now,” Li said.
The competition will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Check local listings for broadcast on ESPN on Feb. 10-12.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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