MILLSTONE – The Millstone Eagles cheerleaders swept the Pop Warner Eastern Region Spirit Championships competition.
All of the Millstone squads competed in the Region Championships Nov. 17-18 at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. They went up against teams from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., and won. They will now advance to the national championships at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
“Our squads are all going to Disney,” Lori Cuffari, a cheer coordinator, said.
At the regional competition over the weekend, Cuffari said, the Pee Wee team placed first in all three of its competitions. The Junior Midgets team placed first or second in each of its competitions, while the Junior Pee Wee team came back from fifth place to be able to contend in Disney.
Kathie Chandonnet, another cheer coordinator, said, “What a great job for Millstone cheer. Who would believe that we have only been up and running for four short years?”
She said that most squads only dream of getting an opportunity to go to Disney World for the national competition.
“From the start of this back in October, hundreds of teams have competed,” she said. “Most were knocked out during the first competition with no chance of moving on. … What an outstanding job the girls did. It was a proud day to be a Millstone fan.”
Chandonnet said that all three Millstone squads performed “solid routines” that earned them the honor of advancing to the national competition. She said they could not have won without the support of the coaching staff and the team moms.
“It has been a lot of hard work and hundreds of thankless hours,” she said. ‘I want to applaud you all. You have done such a wonderful job with the girls. And the work continues to reach for the national championship.”
She added, “Go, Millstone cheer.”
The 2007 Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships will take place Dec. 2-8 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
The cheerleaders will have to raise money to travel to Florida. Anyone interested in helping them get to Disney can contact Fiore Masci at [email protected].