Cheerleaders Head to National Championships in Florida

The Eastchester varsity girls cheerleading team will be squaring off against some of the best teams in the country when the squad heads down to compete at the UCA National Championships in Orlando, Fl this weekend. 

But before the Eagles set foot on the mat in the Sunshine State, they had one last chance to dazzle local fans on Monday night, when they participated in a rousing sendoff at New Rochelle High School. 

Taking the mat alongside the Huguenots’ junior varsity and varsity teams— as well as Eastchester’s own “Stars & Stripes” squad—the Eagles were able to play to a packed house before their trip to the prestigious competition.

Junior captain Annie McLoughlin said that although the Eagles traditionally host their own pre-Nationals event, joining forces with the Huguenots’ teams helped bring a little more excitement to Monday night’s proceedings. 

“It’s really nice to see all the support at this sendoff, it’s such a good feeling,” said McLoughlin. “Most of the time, our sendoffs are small, just friends and family in the gym, but his feels like another performance, and its crazy to believe that we’re leaving for Florida.”

Eastchester will be competing in both the Game Day and Traditional events, and although the national spotlight can be bright, said fellow captain Amanda Crinnion, the Eagles’ past successes—the team placed fifth in Game Day and 20^th in Traditional last year—mean that the team knows the type of focus and mental toughness it will take to shine on the big stage. 

 “What we’re trying to impress upon [the younger team members] is the idea of camaraderie,” said Crinnion. “We’re going to be there for each other, and once we get on the mat, it’s going to be us against everyone else.”

With a number of strong showings since qualifying for the National Championships on Dec. 15—including first place finishes at a competition at Scarsdale High School this past weekend—the Eagles are primed for success, said captain Alexa Saraco.

“I think we’re ready. We all feel really good about going down to Florida, and everyone just wants to get on the plane and get on the mat,” said Saraco. “We’ve been preparing for this all year. There are big, bright lights and it’s a different feeling than we get from competing locally, but I think we’re ready for it.”