Penn-Trafford spirit headed back to Hershey for PIAA championships

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, January 21, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Penn-Trafford’s competitive spirit team qualified for the PIAA championships at the Giant Center in Hershey after a fourth-place finish at the WPIAL meet.

The state championship will be Jan. 26 and 27.

The Warriors competed in the Class 3A Large Varsity Division, which was won by rival Hempfield for the fourth time. Norwin also qualified for the state championships long with Baldwin, Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, South Fayette and Thomas Jefferson.

This is the 10^th time Penn-Trafford has qualified for the state competition.

“The weeks leading up to the WPIAL championship presented challenges with illness and injuries, testing our team’s resilience,” coach Alexis Martonik said. “Despite adversity, our team persevered, recognizing the importance of not giving up. In those moments, true teamwork showed. They faced trials and tribulations with determination, trusting the process and maintaining composure.

“Qualifying for the state championship is a testament to their dedication and unity as a team.”

Members of the squad are Addison Goldsworthy, Alexandra Schmidt, Allie Pula, Ava Fedore, Brynlee Echard, Cheyenne Juarez, Delaney Miklos, Gianna Botti, Gianna Ferrari, Gionna Batts, Jillian Porter, Jordyn Ridley, Kaitlyn Long, Kendell Campbell, Kylie Colamarino, Lyla Hofmeister, Madison Kral, Marissa Botti, Morgan McBriar, Nina Marucci, Olivia Egnor, Rachel Walker, Rylee Vovaris, Samantha Svoboda, Scarlett Lakly, Sophia Lecce and Sydney Sparks.

Martonik said the cheer team started to compete in 2014 and has qualified every year except 2020 season when they took fewer teams to states because of covid protocols.

The WPIAL held its competition Jan. 7 at Chartiers Valley. This is the fourth consecutive year Hempfield has won in Class 3A. Neshannock won the Class 2A title.

Teams are evaluated on various aspects of their performance. The categories are cheer, stunts, pyramids, tumbling, jumps, dance and overall effect. Each category holds a different weight with specific points assigned. The final score reflects the difficulty and execution of the teams’ routine.

Both Hempfield and Neshannock won their fourth WPIAL competitive spirit championship, moving into a tie with Chartiers-Houston for the most in league history.

In addition to its overall champions, the WPIAL also named winners in five different categories — Class 3A Large Varsity, Class 3A Small Varsity, Class 2A Large Varsity, Class 2A Small Varsity and Co-Ed Varsity.

In the Class 3A Large Varsity division, Hempfield was victorious over Baldwin, which was the classification’s overall runner-up. A total of six teams competed in the division, with Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, Norwin and Penn-Trafford rounding out the field.

Martonik said the team members trusted each other and conquered their fears of making mistakes.

“Logistically, our focus on technique and execution in all routine components played a crucial role, ultimately contributing to our success,” Martonik said. “This was something we have been working on with them so it felt great to watch them have the confidence to do it when it mattered.”

The strength of the squad, according to Martonik, was the team’s togetherness, focus and determination, which helped them qualify for the state championships.

“All our seniors stepped up as role models, providing leadership to our young team,” Martonik said. “Their commitment and example were integral to the team’s success. I am incredibly proud of our team.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford