Tolman takes 7th at NEs
Coaches proud of performance
PAWTUCKET – When Tolman High left for New England Regional Competitive Cheerleading Championships at Southern New Hampshire University in Hooksett on Saturday morning, neither head coach Kelly Ogden nor assistant (and mom) Carole Ogden knew what to expect.
The Tigers had fared quite well at the state meet, claiming the top spot in the Large Division with a 176.50 score, and the daughter-mother duo hoped for more of the same in the Granite State.
The 12-girl contingent performing on the mats thrilled not only their mentors but themselves, capturing seventh (in the field of 13 squads) in the Division II bracket with an overall points total of 170.80, just 1.90 points below sixthplace Milford, Mass.
Rutland, Vt. dominated the competition with a 187.60.
“It was even better than the performance they did at states,” gushed Carole upon the Tigers return. (She noted the difference in scores could be explained by a new set of judges with a different set of scoring standards).
“It was cleaner; it was solid,” she added. “You could tell by the looks on their faces immediately after they finished that they knew they hit every stunt, that they were proud of themselves. It was very emotional for them because it was the final competition for the three seniors (including tri-captains Sophie Marchese and Angel Moore, not to mention Cheyenne Bergeron).
“They were crying; then again, I think most of us were crying because their (high school) careers were over. They’ve been the emotional, physical and spiritual backbone of the program. They’re all strong, talented and so dedicated, all are outstanding leaders. The younger girls looked up to them.”
Carole Ogden admitted being thrilled with the routine, which was set to assorted up- beat tunes and lasted two-plus minutes.
“The great thing is all of the teams at regionals had placed in the top two in the state (in their respective divisions), and maybe a few of them earned at-large bids after placing third, so the talent level was huge and the competition really stiff,” she offered. “There were a lot of fantastic teams up there, and I’d say we more than held our own against them.
“We did much better than we did at states, and that was the goal from Day One. All we wanted to do was improve from the week before, and we did and then some.”