Weedsport held its third annual cheer and dance competition Jan. 24th at its high school gym. Squads from Cazenovia, APW, Moravia, Union Springs and Weedsport performed, and over a dozen cheerleaders competed in the individuals. The Hamilton Dance Team also gave an exhibition.

Coaches for the participants are Melanie Maher for the Hamilton dance team, Joan Mietz for Cazenovia, Mandy Morison for APW, Melinda Leonard and Natalie Dillon for Weedsport, Nicki Sliwka for Union Springs and Kara Maher for Weedsport. Most of the squads were combined JV and varsity, with a lot of first-time cheerleaders.

Judges were Diane Gove, Megan Herman, Sue Valentino and yours truly. It was a difficult task, as all the squads were enthusiastic and ready for the challenge.

In the Individual category, there were five places awarded. First place went to Emily Groce of Weedsport, followed by Nicole Cheney of Union Springs, Samantha Warren of APW, Laura Kuznia of APW and Ashley Kern of Weedsport.

All the young ladies had great smiles and good voices, and I have to mention Emily Groces' perfect toe touch.

At the team competition level, Union Springs and Weedsport tied for first place, followed by APW. There was a mix-up with scoring, and at the time, Union Springs was awarded first place with Weedsport second. The error was discovered the following day.

All of the squads were fun to watch, and from my standpoint as a judge and a contributing writer, I commend each of the young ladies who performed individually or as part of a squad.

It's not easy, especially for first-time competitors. Not to mention all the snow days and after school activity cancellations we have had. It's hard when you can't get the practice time in.

My only advice for every cheerleader is remember to keep on smiling and always look confident. Easy points can be had when you smile and know where you have to be on the floor at all times.

I was impressed with the poise and high energy levels of the cheerleaders.

Competition is always stressful. Kara Maher, the coach for Weedsport and organizer of this event, explained that she hosts this competition to give squads a taste of what it is like to compete. Some squads don't attempt to participate in competitions because they don't have the experience, the tumblers or the numbers.

Maher wants to give squads the opportunity to compete in a more relaxed arena, with no tumbling, no timing violations, and a chance for positive feedback should they consider going to another competition.

The Weedsport volunteers were as awesome as they were last year. A lot of work behind the scenes made for a very nice time.

Switching back to youth cheerleading, Diane LaRue, the St. Alphonsus CYO rep here in Auburn, gave me some information on their instructional and combined 5th and 6th grade teams.

Missie Morrissey has five cheerleaders and three mascots on the instructional squad. They practice every Tuesday at St. Alphonsus gym and cheer at the games every Sunday at St. Hyacinth's.

Michele VanGiesen coaches six girls and one mascot, with practice on Mondays and games every Sunday at the St. Alphonsus gym.

As a plug for the entire CYO program, the volunteers could really use some help in the near future. As with all youth programs, there are great people who step up and volunteer their time to coach, organize, and fundraise.

But they can't stay forever. People must give their time and talent to make these programs work. Please consider volunteering. Closing day for CYO is March 7th at Auburn High School gym.

Every CYO organization has a responsibility to man the concession stand, take tickets, sell 50/50, organize the basketball games, help with the cheerleading exhibition, and just be there for any emergency. Please ask if they need help. Ask your CYO Rep at your respective churches.

The next column will have all the information on the competitions occurring this weekend and next. If anyone has information, please contact me at citizensports@hotmail.com. And as always, remember to cheer with your cheerleaders when they ask for your response, watch the half-time show before going to the concession stand, and let them know they are doing a great job.

Talk Later.

Pinckney, an Auburn Pop Warner cheerleading coach, is The Citizen's cheerleading columnist. She can be reached at citizensports@hotmail.com