Lew-Port cheerleading takes NYSPHSAA D-2 Small title - Niagara Gazette

March 04, 2019 at 11:24AM

Editor's Note: Bob Chase is a Starpoint dad who made the trip to Rochester to support the Spartans.

ROCHESTER — After capturing first place in the NYSPHSAA cheerleading championships Saturday at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the entire Lewiston-Porter team voted to stay on the bus and ride straight to Buffalo State College to root the Lancers' boys basketball team to an eventual victory in its Section VI Class A-2 final.

Head coach Linda D'Anna said her team didn't want the day to ever end.

"We want to savor this moment, this time together," D'Anna said "This is it for our seniors, the last time they're going to perform together. It's been a long day, but it's all good."

Lew-Port cruised to a first-place finish over 13 other qualifiers with a score of 83.40 out of 100 in the preliminary round. The Lancers then posted a score of 86.05 to outscore West Seneca East, Wantagh, Eastchester and Perry to take first in the championship round of the Division II Small competition.

This was the Lancers' third trip to the state finals since cheerleading was classified as a sport by NYSPHSAA. They finished fifth in 2016 and seventh in 2018.

"Last year, we had an excellent team and we were happy to be there," D'Anna said. "This year, there was a different mentality and focus. We set a goal from the beginning of the season to go back, and we put that plan in motion this past summer."

Despite losing eight cheerleaders to graduation in 2018, this season's team excelled by earning grand champion honors at the Niagara Frontier League championships and at competitions in North Tonawanda and Fredonia. The team then won the Section VI title in early February to punch a return ticket to the state finals.

"It's been a very, very long season," D'Anna said. "We were really feeling it at the end. But we have a group of girls who are extremely passionate and committed to the sport. It's their life, it's what they love, and it's what they do."

The Lewiston-Porter Lancers are Kelsey Doyle, Taylor Ferguson, Emily Fittante, Chloe Noah, Alyssa Redmond, Julie Redmond, Larissa Reid, Angel Steffen, Allura Taylor, Maddie Terrana, Lily Traver, Hannah Ullery, Alex Washburn and Morgan Washburn. Kaly Brown served as the assistant coach.

Niagara County was also represented by Starpoint, which returned to the state championships for the second season in a row as well. After finishing second in 2018, the Spartans saw their hopes for a title come to an end after finishing sixth in the preliminary round, a mere 0.05 points out of a berth in the finals.

Besides Lewiston-Porter and Starpoint, eight other Section VI teams participated in the state championships, including Frontier (second place in the co-ed division), West Seneca East (second place, D-2 Small), Lake Shore (fifth place, co-ed), Lancaster (sixth place, D-1 Large), Maryvale (seventh place, D2 Large), Orchard Park (seventh place, D-1 Small), Hamburg (eighth place, D-1 Small) and West Seneca West (ninth place, D-1 Large).

Editor's Note: Bob Chase is a Starpoint dad who made the trip to Rochester to support the Spartans.

ROCHESTER — After capturing first place in the NYSPHSAA cheerleading championships Saturday at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the entire Lewiston-Porter team voted to stay on the bus and ride straight to Buffalo State College to root the Lancers' boys basketball team to an eventual victory in its Section VI Class A-2 final.

Head coach Linda D'Anna said her team didn't want the day to ever end.

"We want to savor this moment, this time together," D'Anna said "This is it for our seniors, the last time they're going to perform together. It's been a long day, but it's all good."

Lew-Port cruised to a first-place finish over 13 other qualifiers with a score of 83.40 out of 100 in the preliminary round. The Lancers then posted a score of 86.05 to outscore West Seneca East, Wantagh, Eastchester and Perry to take first in the championship round of the Division II Small competition.

This was the Lancers' third trip to the state finals since cheerleading was classified as a sport by NYSPHSAA. They finished fifth in 2016 and seventh in 2018.

"Last year, we had an excellent team and we were happy to be there," D'Anna said. "This year, there was a different mentality and focus. We set a goal from the beginning of the season to go back, and we put that plan in motion this past summer."

Despite losing eight cheerleaders to graduation in 2018, this season's team excelled by earning grand champion honors at the Niagara Frontier League championships and at competitions in North Tonawanda and Fredonia. The team then won the Section VI title in early February to punch a return ticket to the state finals.

"It's been a very, very long season," D'Anna said. "We were really feeling it at the end. But we have a group of girls who are extremely passionate and committed to the sport. It's their life, it's what they love, and it's what they do."

The Lewiston-Porter Lancers are Kelsey Doyle, Taylor Ferguson, Emily Fittante, Chloe Noah, Alyssa Redmond, Julie Redmond, Larissa Reid, Angel Steffen, Allura Taylor, Maddie Terrana, Lily Traver, Hannah Ullery, Alex Washburn and Morgan Washburn. Kaly Brown served as the assistant coach.

Niagara County was also represented by Starpoint, which returned to the state championships for the second season in a row as well. After finishing second in 2018, the Spartans saw their hopes for a title come to an end after finishing sixth in the preliminary round, a mere 0.05 points out of a berth in the finals.

Besides Lewiston-Porter and Starpoint, eight other Section VI teams participated in the state championships, including Frontier (second place in the co-ed division), West Seneca East (second place, D-2 Small), Lake Shore (fifth place, co-ed), Lancaster (sixth place, D-1 Large), Maryvale (seventh place, D2 Large), Orchard Park (seventh place, D-1 Small), Hamburg (eighth place, D-1 Small) and West Seneca West (ninth place, D-1 Large).

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