Led by Coaches Alison Diskin and Kayla Heinlein, Pembroke celebrates a third straight win for Division I during this year's Genesee Regional Cheerleading Championship Saturday evening. Alexander won Division II. Pembroke also included the winner of Ronald McDonald House All-Star, Ashley Johnson, shown below.
Submitted Photos
Batavia High School cheerleaders participated in the Class D2 small school sectional tournament on Saturday.
The team did not score enough points to advance to the next round.
Photos by Debra Reilly.
Now in their 12th year, the Batavia Bulldawgs’ “family ties” are as strong as ever.
The youth football and cheerleading program has grown substantially since its start in 2011 thanks to a one-for-all and all-for-one philosophy that values each and every member of the organization, said Commissioner John Reigle on Saturday afternoon as he watched his players take on Tri-Town and Akron at the new Genesee Community College field.
“What makes the Bulldawgs truly special is the athletes, volunteer board members, coaches and families that take part in it,” said Reigle, who is one of the founding fathers of the program (along with Matt Della Penna, Paul Grazioplene, Tyrone Woods and Ken Proefrock). “I play a small part in this wonderful organization, and it’s been an honor.”
The Bulldawgs are comprised of four teams – Beginners (ages 6-7), Mini (ages 8-9), Jayvee (ages 10-11) and Varsity (ages 12-13) – with 25-35 players on each squad. They are supported by the cheerleading squads, which currently list 72 girls.
“We’ve come a long way,” Reigle said. “The first year, we had 52 players, and we didn’t start the cheerleading until the second year.”
Reigle mentioned that he coached his oldest son, Bryce, during that initial season. Bryce continued through every level and now is one of the Bulldawgs’ assistant coaches.
“Right now, we have two junior coaches who came through the program – Bronx Buchholz and Karvel Martino – and are standout players for the Batavia High varsity team,” Reigle said.
The Bulldawgs aren’t officially affiliated with the Batavia City School District (of which Reigle is a Board of Education member), but they have forged a tight relationship over the years.
“We definitely see ourselves as a feeder system for Batavia High football,” he said. “(Former) Coach (Brennan) Briggs promoted it that way, and Coach (Alex) Veltz has continued that. He sees us as one big family – the Bulldawgs and the Blue Devils. Our goal is to have the kids with us for eight years and then see them move into the school football program.”
Reigle said Veltz conducted coaching seminars for the Bulldawgs, and the Mini division team enjoyed a Blue Devil Experience Night where they took on the pad-less BHS varsity squad in a fun-filled exhibition game.
The head coaches are Scott Perry (Beginners). Gary Good (Mini), Reigle (Jayvee) and Matt Beach (Varsity). Kate Smith is the cheerleader director.
The Bulldawgs compete in the Niagara Orleans Football Association, which also includes Tri-Town, an Alexander-based organization with a rich history in its own right; Akron, Attica, Albion, Newfane, Roy-Hart, Pembroke, Le Roy and Holley.
The players and cheerleaders’ membership dues enable them to participate over nine weeks, with each member receiving uniforms and equipment.
Reigle said playoffs are scheduled for Oct. 21 at Van Detta Stadium for the Mini, Jayvee and Varsity divisions, and the championship round is set for Oct. 28, also at Van Detta Stadium, for all divisions. The cheerleading “playoffs” will take place on Nov. 4 in Lyndonville.
Later in November, each Bulldawg team is treated to a season-ending party at the Polish Falcons on Swan Street in Batavia, Reigle noted.
“Every participant receives a plaque at their banquet,” Reigle said. “It’s our way of letting them know that ‘once a Bulldawg, always a Bulldawg.’”
For the record, all four Bulldawg squads were victorious on Saturday. The Beginners beat Tri-Town, 26-7; the Minis defeated Tri-Town, 20-13; the Jayvees blanked Tri-Town, 32-0, and the Varsity downed Akron, 26-0.
Emily Konfederath, an Alexander High School senior, and Emma Quintern, from Kendall, have been named to the cheer squad for the Ronald McDonald All-Star Game, to be played in Houston in March.
The cheerleaders won their spots on the team through their individual routines in a competition held in Attica.
The Ronald McDonald All-Star Game features top high school basketball talent from throughout the United States. Proceeds from the event benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a home-away-from-home for families with children receiving medical treatment at nearby hospitals.
The Grinch didn't steal Christmas on Friday night during halftime of the Oakfield-Alabama vs. Pembroke basketball game. He just stole the hearts of families at the game who signed up for pictures with the famous Dr. Seuss character.
The photo session raised $134 to support O-A's varsity cheer program.
Submitted photos.
A first-year travel cheer team from Pembroke, aged 9 to 13, have competed in a total of four competitions and won first place in all four.
Kelly Abramski, one of four coaches for the teams, said the project began with cheerleaders from the Pembroke Youth Association football team and that the girls worked hard all winter.
"The big news here is our little squad from Pembroke is traveling all the way to Virginia Beach to compete in the nationals this weekend," Abramski said.
UPDATE: Additional information in this press release:
Sunday, March 6 in Erie PA, the Pembroke Youth Association’s new travel cheer squad took home their third consistent first-place banner this season. The squad consists of 12 girls ranging in age from 8-12 and one 11-year-old boy. They are coached by head coach Jasmine Bowser, assistant coaches Robin Czwojdak and Kelly Baker and are choreographed by Lisa Blaun of Law Dance Studio in Batavia, NY. All athletes are students in the Pembroke Central School District. The team competed in the Performance Cheer Division in the 2022 SHOUT Cheer and Dance Competition. Receiving no deductions, the squad was less than one point away from taking Grand Champion for the overall competition.
In February, the team also competed in their first national competition at the SHOUT Rock the Falls Cheer and Dance National Championship in Niagara Falls, NY where they placed first in the Performance Cheer and Division, earning them a bid to the national competition in May to be held in Virginia Beach. They also placed first at the American Cheer Power Buffalo Showdown DISCO Championship in the 12 and under Performance Recreation division later the same month.
“This team impresses me each and every time they hit the mat. They work hard, they have fun and they put everything they have into their performances. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of young, talented kids,” said Jasmine Bowser, head coach, sport commissioner and president of Pembroke Youth Association.
Pembroke Youth Association has offered traditional cheer in support of tackle football for years. Listening to the feedback of the parents and athletes, it has long been a goal to establish a competitive arm of the traditional squads to provide the athletes with more relevant competitive experiences. This will better prepare them for the high school level and expose them to other all-star or elite cheer opportunities.
“Strengthening our youth program benefits our high school level squads as they move up. The youth cheer program had a solid base, it was my goal to build off of that and make it more competitive. It’s what the athletes asked for and our mission in PYA is about access, and providing the athletic experience kids want and deserve. I am proud of the progress we have made in just a few months’ time. I can only imagine where we will go from here,” said Bowser.
Two local girls and a coach, all from Batavia, will be attending their first-ever competition in Florida with Dynamic Elite Athletics, Batavia resident Robin Cook says.
They will be attending the Summit cheer and dance Championship at Walt Disney World Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex beginning Thursday through May 1.
Kayla Gangarossa, a Batavia High School graduate, is the coach of the Level 2 ICE team, and her daughter, Payton Spikes, will be going with Level One Junior D1amonds, Cook said in an email to The Batavian.
Payton is a fifth-grader at Batavia Middle School. Her mom Kayla was a coach for Batavia Bulldawgs cheerleading, and Payton and her Batavia school peer Hailey Armison were Bulldawgs cheerleaders. Both Payton and Hailey will be participating in the Florida event. Dynamic Elite Athletics is a cheer and tumbling center based in Rochester.
"This will be our first-ever D2 Summit, as well as our first-ever world finals for our open level 6 team Legacy,” Gangarossa said. “We will be kicking off our decade of purple and teal and celebrating 10 years of Dynamic Elite Athletics the week after we return from the summit."
The Summit Championship, founded by Varsity All-Star in 2013, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022 and will showcase more than 1,500 teams and 24,000 competitors from around the globe. The Summit Championship is promoted as a way to provide a unique experience for athletes to compete against the best of the best across all levels of competition.
Top photos of Payton Spikes and Hailey Armison; the girls' cheersport team and Coach Kayla Gangarossa and Payton, her daughter. Photos submitted by Robin Cook.
Press release:
Batavia residents Jacklyn (Borrelli) Pratt and Nicole Borrelli co-coach together for a competitive cheerleading program, New York Icons. The sister coaching duo is honored to have their team, Celebrities, representing their program at the upcoming Summit Championship in Orlando, Florida. The Borrelli sisters have been coaching cheerleading for over 10 years and have been co-coaching their Allstar team together for the past three seasons. These sisters have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with within the cheerleading community.
New York Icons, a local Allstar cheerleading and tumbling training facility, in Rochester is proud to announce that Celebrities will be attending The Summit Championship on a PAID bid in the Small Junior Level Two Division to compete at one of the nation’s most prestigious cheerleading competitions produced by Varsity All-Star. Varsity All-Star is a division of Varsity Spirit – the global leader in cheerleading.
The Summit Championship, held at Walt Disney World® Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from April 28 to May 1, is the season-capping goal for many competitive all-star teams. The Summit Championship, founded by Varsity All-Star in 2013, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022 and will showcase more than 1,500 teams and 24,000 competitors from around the globe. The Summit Championship provides a unique experience for athletes to compete against the best of the best across all levels of competition. The Summit Championship and The Dance Summit Championship continue to grow offering multiple paths for teams to have a competitive, prestigious, and celebratory end to their seasons.
The Borrelli sisters and their team have worked extremely hard this season, especially coming off the pandemic and the challenges they faced last season. “We could not have asked for more from our athletes this season,” says the Borrelli sisters. “They have consistently scored the highest overall score throughout our in-season competitions, and we are very proud.” They are heading down to Florida as the TOP Northeast Region Team on the Varsity Leaderboard.
Jacklyn is a Special Education Teacher at Gates Chili Middle School and the Program Assistant for Gates Chili’s Cheerleading Program. In addition, she has worked with several Genesee Region High School Cheerleading Programs over the last several years and has worked closely with Attica High School. Most importantly, her number one role is being a mom to her one-year-old, Jackson. Nicole is an office manager in Rochester and is the JV Cheerleading Coach for Gates Chili High School along with her other coaching duties and apparel coordinator at New York Icons.
Submitted by Tess Diskin:
Pembroke Varsity Cheerleading made history by first winning their division and then being named Grand Champions for the entire Genesee Region Cheerleading Championship held at Attica High School last night. This is the first time in school history that Pembroke has won the title. First-year head coach Alison Diskin remarked, “These athletes are determined and driven to exceed any expectation that is set for them. It is the start of a new era in Pembroke Cheerleading.” She continued, “We are working on building a seamless program starting at the youth level and working up through Modified, JV and culminating with our Varsity squad. Coach Diskin talked about the importance of having her juniors and seniors mentor the younger athletes so as to carry this year’s success into the future. Her coaching team consistently stresses having the entire program work together to build strong and dedicated cheerleaders, just like the ones who won today.
Submitted photos.
Press release:
Sign ups for the 2021 OAE (Oakfield-Alabama/Elba) Titans Youth Football and Cheer League will be held on this Sunday, June 13, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Registration will be at the Oakfield Community Center, located at 33 S. Main St. in Oakfield.
Unlimited weight is allowed for ALL positions.
Sign up for:
Please provide: Birth Certificate & proof of health insurance.
Cost for Football and Cheerleading is $130 per athlete.
Cash, personal check, and payment via Venmo are accepted.
"Continuing a Tradition!"
GO TITANS!
With questions, contact League Commissioner, Brandon Spurling (585) 297-3197 or League Secretary, Elizabeth Mullen (585) 813-5337.
Email: oaeyouthfootball@gmail.com
Oakfield-Alabama placed second in the Section V varsity cheerleading sections in the Class D2 C division. The team competed against 18 other schools.
Photo and info submitted by Amanda Fonda.
Submitted photos and press release:
The Byron-Bergen Senior High School proudly announces that every fall varsity Byron-Bergen sport team achieved the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Scholar-Athlete Team award.
The fall sports teams are cheerleading, boys cross-country, girls cross-country, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, girls soccer and girls volleyball.
“Here at Byron-Bergen we are always proud of our student athletes and their accomplishments,” said Byron-Bergen Athletic Director Rich Hannan. “This fall we are especially proud that all of our fall teams made the NYS Scholar-Athlete Team award.
"As Athletic Director, I am extremely blessed to work with such great student athletes and coaches. This particular recognition is a great testament to the student athletes and what it takes to perform at a high level. In and out of the classroom, our kids are getting it done!”
The Scholar-Athlete program recognizes athletes for their academic success. NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team awards go to teams whose average GPA of 75 percent of the athletic team equals 90 or above.
Scholar-Athlete Team award recipients, with Byron-Bergen HS students named below photos:
Cheerleading (a multi-school team)
Cross-country -- Boys
Cross-country -- Girls
Football (a multi-school team)
Gymnastics (a multi-school team)
Soccer – Boys
Soccer -- Girls
Volleyball -- Girls
Eastridge High School held its annual "Battle on the Ridge" cheer competition this past Saturday in Rochester. The Batavia Varsity squad finished second place in its division.
Judges score on difficulty and execution in the following catagories: Jumps, pyramid, stunts, tumbling and cheer.
This Saturday Rochester Institute of Technology hosts the Section V competition.
For more photos to view or purchase click here.
Children ages 4 to 13 are invited to learn cheerleading from Batavia's Section V champions.
The Batavia Youth Cheerleading Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 16, in the gymnasium at Batavia Middle School, located at 96 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.
Cost is $30. Participants will get a T-shirt.
Cheerleaders will be served pizza during a quick lunch break, too!
Cheerleaders will work on cheerleading skills including stunts, jumps, sidelines and tumbling. They will also learn a choreographed routine to perform for their families and friends at 11:45 a.m.
In addition, participants are invited to wear their camp T-shirt and join the Section V cheerleading champs at the varsity game half-time performance on Dec. 27 at Genesee Community College (located at One College Road, Batavia). Game starts at 8 p.m. and cheer campers will meet before the game at 7:15 p.m. in the GCC foyer for review of the skills learned.
Checks should be made payable to: Batavia Cheer Boosters. Please include the following information when mailing your payment:
Mail registration information and payment to:
Batavia High School
Attn: Cheerleading
260 State St.
Batavia, NY 14020
Ten teams from the Genesee Region, including six from Genesee County gathered at Alexander High School Saturday for their annual championship competition.
Representing Genesee County were teams from Alexander, Byron-Bergen, Elba, Notre Dame, Oakfield-Alabama, and Pembroke. Results listed below.
Ronald-McDonald Individual Competition:
Team Competition Division I:
Team Competition Division II:
Photos by Destin Danser. Click here to view or purchase photos.
Batavia High School senior Lexi Wahr took First Place in the individual routine competition this weekend at the Empire Cheer Competition. She competed against 15 other cheerleaders and had the highest all-around score. The individual routine is judged on jumps, dance and cheer.
Info and photo submitted.
Children ages 5 to 12 years old are invited to join the Batavia High School cheerleaders at their premiere cheer camp Friday and Saturday, July 29-30, at Vandetta Stadium. The stadium is located at 120 Richmond Ave. in Batavia.
Both days are mandatory. Cost is $40 and will include a camp T-shirt and pizza on Saturday.
Camp on Friday is from 1 to 5 p.m. On Satruday, it's from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a performance for parents at noon.
There will be a cheer merchandise booth for the participants to purchase extra apparel and bows.
Registration is due by July 8.
Questions? Call Melissa Swinehart at 202-6504 or Sherri Wahr at 356-0639.
****************
Mail registration fee, payable to Batavia Cheer Boosters, along with a piece of paper with the cheerleader's name, age, name of parent or guardian, phone number, and shirt size to:
Batavia High School
Attn: Cheer Booster
260 State St.
Batavia, NY 14020
Press release:
On Wednesday, February 3, the Notre Dame Varsity Cheerleaders took first place for Division II in the Genesee Region League Competition, hosted at Byron-Bergen High School. The 14-girl squad, coached by Megan McNally, competed against Elba, Kendall, Wheatland-Chili, and Lyndonville high schools.
It had been five years since ND Cheerleading last earned the Genesee Region League Title, and was an experience the entire team had been working toward. This goal was especially strong for senior captains Cindy Skalny and Shelby McGinnis. “This has been a dream come true for Shelby and me,” said Skalny, who has competed in four GR competitions to date. “This win was a combination of all of our hard work and we did it!”
After coming off a less-successful competition at Victor the week before, the squad improved their routine score by over 20 points to solidify the League title. Their hard work is far from over though, as the team prepares for the Section V Competition held at RIT on February 27.
Scores:
Division I: Byron-Bergen 91.45, Attica 86.6, Holley 86.3, Pembroke 79.6, Alexander 67.5, Oakfield-Alabama 66.3
Division II: Notre Dame 81.15, Kendall 73, Wheatland Chili 66.8, Elba 66.25, Lyndonville 33.5
Two Batavia Cheerleading Youth Camps will be offered next month and are open to ages 4 through 13. Cost is $25 if registration is before Dec. 4; otherwise it's $30.
You do not have to be in the Batavia School District to participate. All are welcome. Camp sessions will be held at the Batavia Middle School Gymnasium from 5:30 to 7:30 on Friday, Dec. 18, and from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19. Participants must attend both sessions.
Coaches and parent volunteers will be working the camps accompanied by basketball junior varsity and varsity cheerleaders. Both camps are mandatory. Participants will learn jumps, arm motions, cheers & chants, stunting, and a 45-second routine appropriate for each age level. They are: Level 1 -- ages 4-6; Level 2 -- ages 7-9; and Level 3 -- ages 10-13.
All cheerleaders will perform the routine learned at the camps with varsity cheerleaders at the Genesee Community College Christmas Tournament game on Monday Dec. 28. Game details and warm-up time TBA.
To register, make checks payable to Batavia Cheerleading Boosters and send cash or check to:
Batavia City Schools
Attention: Justine Briggs
260 State St.
Batavia, NY 14020
Include the registrant's name, age and T-shirt size. Also include an emergency contact name, emergency contact primary phone number, and emergency contact e-mail address.
For additional information or questions, e-mail Bataviacheerleading@gmail.com
Visit on Facebook at Batavia Cheer - Batavia Cheerleading
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