By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer
Marlborough – The Marlborough High School (MHS) Varsity Cheerleading Team had had an amazing fall season. Now, they are training hard for the upcoming Cheerleaders of America (COA) Ultimate International Championship in Orlando, Fla., April 3-4, with the hopes of bringing home the title.
Seventeen girls will be competing at the event, which features teams from 15 states and 10 countries. The team is currently fundraising to help defer the costs, which include airfare, hotel and transportation.
The girls hosted a Zumba night at MHS in January and will host another one in March. They have sold over 200 t-shirts to local businesses and hosted a pancake breakfast at the Moose Lodge March 1, donating a portion of the proceeds to the Marlborough Food Pantry.
“I have been coaching for over 15 years and this has been one of the best years I have had,” Coach Adrienne DeGeorge said. “These girls have worked tirelessly since our tryouts in June to get to our ultimate goal our trip to nationals. All summer the girls were in the gym taking tumbling classes, stunt clinics and camps. As soon as the official season started in September, the girls worked even harder practicing three days each week for two-and-a-half hours a day plus an extra hour of tumbling practice and games on Friday nights.”
Some highlights of the season include receiving the 2014 Division 2 Sportsmanship Award, top three in the Midland-Wachusett League Championship, top two in the Central Regional Championship, top six in the State Championship, where they earned a spot in the Ultimate International Championship.
Although the team made it to the championship in 2012, they did not return with the title. There was much disappointment, but it fueled the girls’ determination to work harder and become stronger in their commitment to the team.
“I see so much heart and determination in every single girl on this team,” said senior captain Val Smith. “This season had probably been the most difficult and I promised myself that I would push this team the way my captains pushed me. It got to the point where they almost hated me but I knew eventually they would understand because we were reaching our ultimate goal we are going to nationals.”
Smith went to the nationals with the varsity team as a freshman in 2012.
“Despite all of the challenges throughout the season, I personally, have never felt so close to any other group of girls,” she noted. “We are a true sisterhood. We succeed or we fail together.”
The MHS Varsity Cheerleading Team is a cohesive group that also finds the time for community service projects, such as the Jimmy Fund-Kars for Kids with Cancer project. They hosted a competition in October and participated in the project for their special hero, Dylan Berio from the Jimmy Fund.
“We collected over 1,500 cars that Dylan took to pass out at Dana Farber to kids that were receiving chemotherapy,” DeGeorge said.
The team also pooled their money together and sponsored four children from the Worcester Housing Authority to give them a better Christmas by purchasing clothing, toys, coats and more.
“All I have wanted as a captain is to show this team to put your heart and soul into what you love. I hope they know that my heart and soul is with them,” Smith said.
Added DeGeorge: “My captains, senior Val Smith, senior Brittany Shaughnessy, senior Kailynn Palaima, junior Alexis Barille, along with myself and my assistant coach, Stephanie Richardson, are determined to represent the best we can and hopefully bring home the national title. If there is any team that can do it, it will be this one.”