Cheer team overcomes injuries to defeat two opponents
PV prevails over Kennedy and Cliffside Park
After needing to alter its routine due to injuries, Pascack Valley’s cheer team overcame the odds and defeated both Kennedy and Cliffside Park at its home competition Tuesday night.
“We’ve had injuries,” coach Kacey Terzini said. “Every time there are injuries the routine has to be reworked.”
Valley performed its routine twice on Tuesday night: first at 7:30 p.m. against Kennedy, and then at 9:00 p.m. against Cliffside Park.
Despite rising to the occasion to defeat both of its opponents, the team still feels it can improve on certain aspects of its routine.
“We had to rearrange our whole routine right before we came here,” senior captain Nicole Criscuolo said. “So honestly, under those conditions, I think we did well. [But] I’m hoping next time we go out we can do better.”
“The stunts could’ve used improvement,” Terzini said. “We fumbled a few of them.”
Preparation is a crucial part of any sport; however, in cheer, the dire need for perfection means the time spent preparing is completely disproportionate to the time spent performing.
“We actually learned the routine in July,” Terzini said. “It’s a lot of preparation. A lot of preparation for two minutes [of competition].”
Even though the time spent in competition may be shorter than other sports, leadership and team chemistry are still just as important in cheer.
“If you’re not getting along with your team, [the routine] isn’t going to work and your stunts aren’t going to hit,” Criscuolo said. “I try to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to and that everyone is getting along so that we can hit our routine and do what we need to.”
“It takes everyone to make a stunt hit or [to make] a routine work,” senior captain Melissa Jennings said.
After emerging victorious against both opponents Tuesday night, PV will participate in the Mini Meet Championship next Monday, followed by the Big North Conference Championship on Friday, Feb. 7.
