SMA cheerleaders advance to 2A Small Varsity final

District 9 will be well represented in the finals in the 2A Small Varsity division at the PIAA Competitive Spirit Championships in Hershey today as both St. Marys Area and Moniteau were among the top five scoring teams in the preliminary round in Panel A and advanced to have a chance to compete for the state title.

Bishop McCort had the highest score in Panel A with 90.2333. Moniteau, the District 9 runner-up, was second with a final score of 80.7167 following a 0.25 point deduction.

District 9 Small Varsity champion St. Marys Area was third with a final score of 74.1.

Other teams advancing directly to the finals from Panel A were Lansdale Catholic with a score of 72.1 and Central Valley High School with a score of 71.7667.

The four teams that advanced to the semifinals from the panel to have a chance to compete for a spot in the finals were Harbor Creek High School with a score of 71.4667, Lehighton High School with a score of 70.2333, Hopewell High School with a score of 65.9, and Greater Johnstown High School with a score of 65.7333.

Had it not been for deductions, both Hopewell and Greater Johnstown would have advanced directly to the finals. Hopewell had an average score of 77.9 but was assessed a 12-point deduction, and Greater Johnstown had an average score of 75.7333 but was assessed a 10-point deduction. District 9 qualifier Redbank Valley did not advance past the preliminary round. Redbank was 12th out of the 17 teams competing in the panel with a score of 58.8667 following a two-point deduction.

The finals get underway today at 11:30 a.m.