Pine-Richland competitive spirit team continues tradition of WPIAL success

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, January 14, 2024 | 11:01 AM

It was another successful trip to the WPIAL meet for the Pine-Richland competitive spirit team.

The Rams fell a little short of winning the Class 3A small squad division title Jan. 6 at Chartiers Valley, but they scored well enough to secure yet another bid to states.

Pine-Richland has qualified for the PIAA meet all but one time in the history of the program, so the current group is thrilled to continue that tradition.

“The team has been very successful all season, and I was very confident in them that they would be able to execute another routine that would earn our team a bid to states,” Pine-Richland coach Amanda Kerestes said. “To see them do so was very exciting. I felt that it was their most energetic and entertaining performance of the season and other than one error in our cheer, the girls performed a near flawless routine for our music section. I am very proud of what they have been able to accomplish.”

The PIAA meet is set for Jan. 26-27 in Hershey.

Members of this season’s team include seniors Brynn Cassidy, Chloe Montani, Paige Baratka, Nina Didiano and Elle Balkove.

The juniors are Macie Boyd and Kailyn Goltz. Reis Valenty, Lydia Turner, Ella Armstrong, Gracie Richardson, and Camryn Matta are sophomores. The freshmen are Jocelyn DeVito, Harlo Miller, Izzy Banjak and Lexi Alexander.

There aren’t any designated captains, but Kerestes said each of the seniors step up to lead the team and be role models for the younger cheerleaders.

The team practiced all season on their routine to get ready for the WPIAL and state championships, and Kerestes was pleased with the work they put in.

“The key to our routine every year is finding that perfect balance between having stunts that stand out in terms of difficulty but also those that we can cleanly execute,” Kerestes said. “We also like to jam pack the routine with a lot of tumbling and a fast pace that draws the crowd and judges in when we are performing.

“I think our routine stands out this year for the new, exciting stunts that we have added, especially our ending pyramid which is very difficult and performed well. The girls really put their all into the WPIALs routine and I am very excited to see what they can do at states.”

The Rams will look to perform well on Day 1 at the PIAA meet to score high enough to make it into the finals the next day.

Pine-Richland has never won a state championship in competitive spirit but was a runner-up in 2013.

“Our goals for states is definitely to make the finals and place in the top 3 in the 3A small varsity division,” Kerestes said.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Pine-Richland