Cheering squad is winning awards

Michael D’Onofrio, Staff Writer
If you walk into the office of Glen Ridge High School, you will immediately see a prestigious trophy standing among the miscellaneous papers and folders on the main desk. The third-place trophy was recently won by the high school’s varsity cheerleaders at the Spirit Unlimited’s Battle at the Boardwalk National Championship on Feb. 20 in Atlantic City.
The Spirit Unlimited has been a major cheerleading and dance company on the East Coast for the last 12 years. This particular event has been held for the last seven years, and the organization has 20 years of experience in hosting competitions. The company is a founding member of the Nation’s Leading Cheer Companies, and partnered with JAM Brands, another leading cheerleading and dance company, to host the Battle at the Boardwalk this year.
The competition was held at the Atlantic City Convention Center, and more than 180 teams were competing. The school’s were divided into divisions of skill level and size, and according to a representative of Spirit Unlimited, the Glen Ridge team competed in the highest level possible, “the elite in high school cheerleading,” as she expressed it.
“All of the different skills and techniques our girls do, like tumbling, stunts, gymnastics and pyramids,” said assistant coach Lisa Maron, “are at the highest level of cheerleading.”
“We strive to bring a big bang to each competition,” said Rose Marie Haynes, a senior on the squad. Haynes has spent four years cheerleading at the high school and will most likely be attending Temple University next year, where she intends to continue cheerleading.
“This year we have all taken cheerleading more seriously,” said senior and captain Asley Bramble. “And we hope that the town supports the squad even more in the years to come.”
The Glen Ridge squad was beaten out by second-place Elmwood Park High School, of Elmwood Park, and by first-place winner Ramapo Indian Hills High School, of Oakland.

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