Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Twp. was overrun Sunday morning with cheerleading teams from all over the state, as well as New York and New Jersey, for the UCA Pocono Regional competition.
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Gabby Leidner, 14, Skyler Cruz, 14, and Alyssa Vargas, 16, of Newfield, New Jersey, pose for a photo before the competition.
Members of the Pennridge Rams varisty team, of Pennridge High School in Perkasie, cheer on the junior high team during Sunday’s competition.
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Mohegan Sun Arena was filled with bright colors and the sounds of rustling pom poms Sunday morning as 100 cheerleading teams from several states swarmed the venue for the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) Pocono Regional competition.
Hosted by the Keystone Games, in conjunction with UCA and Varsity Brands, this prestigious event provided qualifying teams the chance to compete at Nationals, which will be held in February at the Disney Complex in Florida.
Teams from all across Pennsylvania — including local teams such as Crestwood High School, Pittston High School and Hazleton Area — as well as neighboring states New York and New Jersey, competed in several divisions. The program stretched from 9 a.m. to approximately 7 p.m., with hundreds participating in the competition.
Olivia Robert, 17, of Northport High School in Long Island, New York, said that the three and a half hour bus ride was long, but her and her teammates made the most of it.
“We did stop for Dunkin’ so that’s always fun,” she said.
Northport was set to hit the mat early in the first half of the program, competing in small varsity (non-tumbling).
The team competed at Nationals last year and Robert said she was hoping they quality again this year. Now a senior in high school, Robert has been cheerleading since seventh grade.
“I just think traveling is also really fun too, going to different places,” she said.
Her favorite place that she’s traveled to so far? Florida, of course.
“It was definitely an amazing feeling being down there,” said Robert.
The event also saw some first-time competitors as well, such as Canton High School, located about 2 hours north of the Wilkes-Barre area. One of the team’s coaches, Marcie Jennings, 51, said her team was nervous about their upcoming performance.
“We had some injuries, we have a girl that’s hospitalized, so we had to change everything,” Jennings said.
Having to make last minute changes to their routine was certainly challenging, and Jennings said the road to regionals was bumpy from the start.
“It’s been a learning experience, because we’ve never competed game day before, so it was just a lot of learning the rules and how everything has to be,” Jennings explained.
The team has been preparing for Sunday’s event since June, and Jennings said they had to do a lot of fundraising as well.
“They’re excited. They’re super excited,” she said. “Being from a small town, you know, that’s a big deal for them.”
The arena wasn’t just filled with competitors, though. Dozens of friends and family were in the stands as well, ready to cheer on their loved ones.
Keryn Kinsley, 54, of Hunterdon New Jersey, was getting ready to watch her daughter’s team, the Hunterdon Junior Red Devils, compete. The team previously won gold at last year’s national competition in Florida.
Her daughter, who is a senior in high school, was sadly not able to compete on Sunday due to an injury. Still, Kinsley said she wanted to be there to support her team.
“She’s a senior so this is her swan song for this team and her high school career,” she said.
Cheerleading will continue to be a huge part of her life, though. Kinsley said that her daughter is planning to attend the University of Delaware in the fall, where she has committed to the school’s cheerleading team.
Gianna Franjul, 17, and a junior at Quakertown High School, has been cheerleading for almost a decade. Competitions don’t usually make her nervous anymore, but it was her first at regionals so she was feeling some butterflies.
“You don’t want to be the one to mess up,” she said.
For Franjul, who said her grandparents initially got her into cheerleading, the camaraderie between her and her teams in the best part of going to competitions.
“We practice together two or three times a week. We’re like family.”