Cardinals finish strong
Greenwich cheerleaders take third at New England championships
There was plenty to cheer about for the Greenwich High School cheerleading team at the conclusion of Saturday’s CNESSPA 13th annual New England Interscholastic Spirit Championship.
Greenwich’s cheerleading squad finished third out of 12 teams in the co-ed division of the Council of New England Secondary Schools Principal’s Association New England championship.
Making its first appearance at the event since 2007, Greenwich finished with a team score of 195.5. West Warwick High School from Rhode Island won the co-ed title with 202 team points and Concord High School from New Hampshire was second. The New England Interscholastic Spirit Championship included teams from each New England state, but only the top several squads from each state were selected to compete.
The regional event included four divisions and a co-ed competition, which Greenwich tested its skills in.
“The co-ed teams were very talented, it was a very competitive division,” GHS cheerleading coach Erin Montague said. “It was a really competitive division and it was very exciting to watch. It’s always interesting to see what the trends are in different states.”
Captained by seniors Trinity Walker, Ryleigh McCarthy, Emma Ryan and Erica Smith, Greenwich exhibited enough in its two-and-a-half minute routine to earn a thirdplace finish, which resulted in the team receiving a plaque and individual medals.
“Competing in regionals was huge, it was the first time we qualified for regionals since I was a senior in high school in 2007,” said Montague, who was one of the captains of the Cardinals’ cheerleading squad while she was a student at
GHS. “Our team did a great job and it was interesting to watch them in an out-ofstate competition for the first time.”
The third-place showing in their final championship meet, capped a season that saw Greenwich place second at the FCIAC Championships, before winning the co-ed title at the New England Cheerleaders Association Championship. Greenwich also placed third at the CIAC state championships and 11th at the State Open, led by their captains — Walker, McCarthy, Ryan and Smith.
“What our team brought to their performance each week was their spirit, pride and heart,” Montague said. “You can totally feel how much they love being a Greenwich Cardinal and how much they enjoy competing together.”