Lady Warriors Place First in Cheer Competition

Breanna+Thompson%2C+Ashley+Warner%2C+Taylor+Maguire%2C+Gretchen+Yatchik+and+Rachel+Kyler+pose+for+a+photo+after+receiving+their+1st+place+medals.

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Breanna Thompson, Ashley Warner, Taylor Maguire, Gretchen Yatchik and Rachael Kyler pose for a photo after receiving their 1st place medals.

The Lady Warrior varsity cheer squad won first place at the Mountain League competition on Saturday, February 1st where their new and complex skills were put to the test against several other schools. This year, the Lady Warriors entered in a five person group: Taylor Maguire, Ashley Warner, Breanna Thompson, Gretchen Yatchik, and Rachael Kyler. This specific group of girls has been working extremely hard to hit the new stunts and choreography they learned this season specifically for this up-coming competition.

However, this season the West Branch cheerleading squad has faced some challenges this year. With only five girls on the team, they were not allowed to compete in PIAA districts. In order to compete in some capacity, the team had to find an alternative. Instead of competing at districts, team coach Mrs. Grabowski, decided to create a competitive stunt team. They spent their entire season preparing for the Mountain League stunt competition.

Before the competition and throughout warm-ups, the Lady Warriors were having difficulty completing and perfecting the routine to the best of their ability. However, all of their worries disappeared as soon as the team stepped on the mat. They performed a perfect routine. Every member hit their moves perfectly which propelled them to the top of the podium.

“There is no better place to be than on the mat with these girls,” senior Taylor Maguire noted. “I’m thankful for the girls that stepped up giving me one last time to compete.”