Cheer team qualifies for Nationals

MILFORD — Florida is calling for the Milford Junior Varsity Pop Warner cheer squad.

The team took first place at the regional competition on Nov. 6. and has secured a trip to the National Cheer Competition at Universal in Orlando, Fla.

“For most of this team, it will be their last time going to compete at nationals so, they want to do their best,” Karen Schumann, head coach and director of Pop Warner cheer, said. “On Saturday when they were Regionals, and they called them for 1st place in both show and sideline, there were many happy tears from both girls and coaches.”

The Milford Junior Pee Wee Cheer squad also made it to the regional competition, just missed second place by .2 points.

“Our Junior Pee Wee team did great at Regionals, too, and placed third,” Schumann added. “I know that if they continue to work hard they will make it to Nationals.”

Schumann said it is rare for a team to make it to nationals on their first trip to the regional competition, but she wasn’t surprised the Junior Pee Wee cheer squad was only .2 points away because of how talented they are.

“Even our JV team did not make it their first-year competition as Junior Pee Wee’s but came back strong the next year to take first and second place in two divisions,” she said.

This was the first time that Milford Pop Warner Cheer had two teams going to Regionals.

According to Schumann, both teams competed in the Southern Connecticut Pop Warner region, and the top two teams from that division qualified to go on to compete at the regional level. Then the top two teams from the regional level are invited to go to nationals in Universal.

During the competition, Schumann said the junior varsity team scored in the 90s for both routines, but they will keep on continuing to work hard because they know the competition is going to get together.

“This week and the weeks leading up to Nationals, we will be focusing on cleaning up our routine and making small changes to help improve our scores based on our score sheets,” she said. “We will continue to try to make practices as fun as possible with themes and will plan some fun activities for girls while at Nationals in Universal. We know that there will be some tough competition at nationals, but we just need to focus on having a clean, fun routine with no deductions.”

Contributed photo Milford Pop Warner Junior Varsity Cheer Squad takes first place at the regional competition and qualifies for the National Cheer Competition. Above, in no particular order, are cheerleaders Charlotte Baldieri, Lea Boguniecki, Laney Chan, Isabella DeRose, Autumn Dow, Alexis Dozier, Averi Ferris, Mackenzie Forsythe, Gabriella Girotto, Cheyanne Jackson, Eloise Mackell, Makaila Onofreo, Madison Queiroz, Jacy Reyes, Kalyn Richards, Krystyna Schuld, Sarah Schumann, Sophia Sisbarro, Sophia Skelton, Emma Swaller, Jordyn Torres, coaches Karen Schumann, Chelsey Festa, Morgan Colombo, Erica Gray, Luciana Cappello, Charlotte Mackell and Elizabeth Schumann and team parents Megan Laudenslager and Genna Thompson.