On Oct. 11, the Hillsborough Dukes cheer teams participated in the Jersey Valley Conference cheer competition at the Montgomery High School.
Friends, family and fans came out to support the Dukes cheerleaders. The Dukes teams that competed were the Flag, Mighty Mite, Jr. Pee Wee and Midget squads.
The Dukes Jr. Pee Wee Cheerleaders took first place at the championships. They have been working hard since Aug. 1, and will be heading to the Sun National Bank Center on Nov. 14 to compete at the Eastern Region Championships, where they hope to qualify for the Pop Warner Nationals.
The team includes Madyson Covert, Danae Dewberry, Ashley Figliolo, Natalia Fonzetti, Abby Grouss, Sophia Mistretta, Reagan Pirog, Madison Turash and Makaylah Williams. The demos are Courtney Hudak, Brianne Nissel and Courtney Nissel, Coaches are Noelle Creekmur-Fonzetti, DeShaun Creekmur and Nicole Figliolo.
The Dukes midget cheerleaders and coaches have been working on their routine since the beginning of August and are advancing to the Eastern Region competition in November with the goal of advancing to the Pop Warner Nationals.
Making up this year’s midget team is Emily Aboosamara, Amy Applegate, Alyssa Barker, Juliet Benedetti, Sierra Colva, Allison Compell, Sarah Grimmer, Emma Heinold, Kylie Jara, Kiara Mundt, Gillian Prince, Taylor Rastelli, Ashley Shuttner, Rebecca Stept, Kaycee Stranberg and Jessica Tuck. The midget cheer instructors are Hannah Heinold, Marisa Mazreau and Chloe Shortino. Coaches are Pam Heinold, Cathy Applegate, Ellen Compell, Elizabeth Prince and Michele Tuck.
The Dukes flag cheerleaders, 10 little girls ages 5 to 7, took to the mat and stole the show. They stunted, tumbled and worked as a team. Anna Antonelli, Izzy Antonelli, Abriella Bonacci, Samantha Churco, Gabriella Geraci, Samantha Grohe, Brianna Heery, Emery Pierson, Sophia Rollan, and Casey Suarez are the Dukes 2015 Flag Cheer Team. The flag cheer demos are Samantha Compell, Delaney Carone and Jenni Hunt. Coaches are Catherine Grohe, Niki Antonelli and Andrea Geraci.
The Dukes Mighty Mite team, also known as the Sensational Six, had nerves of steel. When it came time to perform, they gave it their best. The Mighty Mite team is Kaylee Covert, Jessica Dudzinski, Olivia McCarthy, Kaylee Meszaros, Grace Perkins and Alexis Scott The demos are Kelsey Kepnis, Alison Prugh and Kayla Shara. Coaches are Danielle Scott and Kerry Perkins.
The Dukes cheer teams will be performing at their Cheer Showcase on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hillsborough Middle School. In addition to performances there will be a basket auction and vendor fair to raise money for the competition team’s journey to Nationals in Walt Disney World.
