May 05, 2019 at 05:08AM
Editor's note: After The Item went to press, it was announced that the Clinton High School Varsity Coed Cheerleading squad would host a Nationals Send Off Showcase in the Clinton High School Gym on Thursday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $5.
CLINTON - Clinton High has something to cheer about as their Nationals team will be heading to the U.S. Finals in Virginia Beach, Va. next week. It is a first for the school's cheerleaders.
Coach Michele Lefebvre said the team will travel on Friday, May 3, with a competition on Sunday, May 5, before traveling home on Monday, May 6.
"The school is sponsoring the majority of the trip, with donations from specific committees," Lefebvre said. "We will be having a fundraiser the week we leave. We will host a Nationals Send-off Showcase for $5 admission and a 50/50 raffle."
The team had a cheer worthy season.
"At the beginning of the season, we compete at multiple invitational competitions, which are judged and scored the same as the qualifying tournaments. These competitions prepare the team for the upcoming qualifying events, allow the coaches to get feedback on the choreography, and let the team perform their skills with the one chance they have," Lefebvre said. "We use this feedback to make necessary changes to the routine in order to score higher next time. Our first qualifying event, meaning you need to win or score high enough to continue on, starts with our MidWach League Tournament, which are all central Massachusetts teams."
That competition was at Leominster High School. Clinton placed first, qualifying the team for the regional tournament, hosted at Shepherd Hill Regional High School; that tournament included teams that advanced from Central and Western Massachusetts. Clinton again placed first, Lefebvre said, qualifying the team for the state finals, held at Tantasqua Regional High School.
"We placed fourth at state finals. But, for the first time in school history, we scored high enough, with an 89.5, to qualify for Nationals," Lefebvre said. "We also, for the first time ever, were invited to represent Massachusetts at the New England Tournament, which was held at Worcester State University. We placed ninth in New England, scoring a 92."
Lefebvre said, as coach, she will never forget this season.
"This season has been one for the books," she said. "It still makes me emotional thinking about how far this program has come in the three years I've been with them. The season prior to my first year coaching here, there were seven athletes in the entire program. Now, I have 35 to 40 athletes try out every season. This team of nine, which earned a bid to Nationals, is absolutely the most deserving group I've ever coached. They practice four times a week, cheer on the boys' varsity football and basketball teams, and travel for competitions on most Sundays for eight to 10-hour days."
While winning would be "amazing," Lefebvre said, the trip means more for the squad than winning or losing.
"This is something they will remember for the rest of their lives," the coach said. "They've all learned dedication, perseverance, commitment, and teamwork. They gave 110 percent of their effort and trust to me as a coach, day in and day out, and it has finally paid off. In our cheer section, we yell the words 'Refusing to quit until we get what's ours!' meaning a bid to Nationals. We hope to come back from Virginia Beach as national champions, but if we don't, I'll still be just as proud. This team made history, set the bar for the future seasons, and has absolutely proved to every Gael in this community that hard work plus patience plus relentlessness equals success."
The nine members of the varsity coed team going to nationals are: Captains Morgan Lowe and Elizabeth McNamara, Faith Burton, Brian Carmona, Dominic Dimeco, Bella Gemma, Alex Kennedy, Marty McNamara and Jocelyn Rossignol.
Editor's note: After The Item went to press, it was announced that the Clinton High School Varsity Coed Cheerleading squad would host a Nationals Send Off Showcase in the Clinton High School Gym on Thursday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $5.
CLINTON - Clinton High has something to cheer about as their Nationals team will be heading to the U.S. Finals in Virginia Beach, Va. next week. It is a first for the school's cheerleaders.
Coach Michele Lefebvre said the team will travel on Friday, May 3, with a competition on Sunday, May 5, before traveling home on Monday, May 6.
"The school is sponsoring the majority of the trip, with donations from specific committees," Lefebvre said. "We will be having a fundraiser the week we leave. We will host a Nationals Send-off Showcase for $5 admission and a 50/50 raffle."
The team had a cheer worthy season.
"At the beginning of the season, we compete at multiple invitational competitions, which are judged and scored the same as the qualifying tournaments. These competitions prepare the team for the upcoming qualifying events, allow the coaches to get feedback on the choreography, and let the team perform their skills with the one chance they have," Lefebvre said. "We use this feedback to make necessary changes to the routine in order to score higher next time. Our first qualifying event, meaning you need to win or score high enough to continue on, starts with our MidWach League Tournament, which are all central Massachusetts teams."
That competition was at Leominster High School. Clinton placed first, qualifying the team for the regional tournament, hosted at Shepherd Hill Regional High School; that tournament included teams that advanced from Central and Western Massachusetts. Clinton again placed first, Lefebvre said, qualifying the team for the state finals, held at Tantasqua Regional High School.
"We placed fourth at state finals. But, for the first time in school history, we scored high enough, with an 89.5, to qualify for Nationals," Lefebvre said. "We also, for the first time ever, were invited to represent Massachusetts at the New England Tournament, which was held at Worcester State University. We placed ninth in New England, scoring a 92."
Lefebvre said, as coach, she will never forget this season.
"This season has been one for the books," she said. "It still makes me emotional thinking about how far this program has come in the three years I've been with them. The season prior to my first year coaching here, there were seven athletes in the entire program. Now, I have 35 to 40 athletes try out every season. This team of nine, which earned a bid to Nationals, is absolutely the most deserving group I've ever coached. They practice four times a week, cheer on the boys' varsity football and basketball teams, and travel for competitions on most Sundays for eight to 10-hour days."
While winning would be "amazing," Lefebvre said, the trip means more for the squad than winning or losing.
"This is something they will remember for the rest of their lives," the coach said. "They've all learned dedication, perseverance, commitment, and teamwork. They gave 110 percent of their effort and trust to me as a coach, day in and day out, and it has finally paid off. In our cheer section, we yell the words 'Refusing to quit until we get what's ours!' meaning a bid to Nationals. We hope to come back from Virginia Beach as national champions, but if we don't, I'll still be just as proud. This team made history, set the bar for the future seasons, and has absolutely proved to every Gael in this community that hard work plus patience plus relentlessness equals success."
The nine members of the varsity coed team going to nationals are: Captains Morgan Lowe and Elizabeth McNamara, Faith Burton, Brian Carmona, Dominic Dimeco, Bella Gemma, Alex Kennedy, Marty McNamara and Jocelyn Rossignol.