Famous caps season with national crown

Niagara Cheerleading’s Famous team lived up to its billing.

The squad, which won a bid to represent Canada at the World Cheerleading Championships held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., at the end of April, recently won the Small Senior Level 5 Division at the National Cheerleading Championships held at the Powerade Centre in Brampton.

“This team is young and all but three members were new to the team this year,” said Amanda- Elise D’Amboise, Niagara Cheerleading’s coowner, program director, head coach and choreographer. “The team had to work very hard to achieve this season and stepped up.”

D’Amboise felt the high point of the season was seeing the team come together.

“This team is truly a family and works together so well.”

The Canadian title capped a strong season for Famous. It also placed first at the Cheer Expo Championships in Halifax, N.S., and placed 25th in its division at the world championships.

The 14- member team is made up of athletes from across the Niagara Region and practises five hours a week, not counting additional training in tumbling. Tryouts for the team will be held Wednesday, May 27 at the club located in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Members of the team are Kayla DiStefano, Jade Fraser, Emma Janzen and Sadie Roberto from Niagara Falls; Alyssa Ashbaugh from Fort Erie; Katherine Jones, Jillian Demers, Jaelyn Willick, Cassandra Smith, Rebekka Guenther, Anggie Zapata and Amanda Matz from St Catharines; Julia McAninch from Welland; and, Taylor Caldwell from Port Colborne.