Franklin Regional squad advances to PIAA spirit championships

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, January 11, 2019 | 8:24 PM

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Moments before Franklin Regional’s competitive spirit team performed its routine at the WPIAL championships Jan. 5, Madison Dover, one of the team’s three senior captains, gave everyone a pep talk.

“Madi told us not to only do it for ourselves but also for our teammates on the sidelines (because of injury or being alternates) that aren’t competing,” fellow captain Chayla Fisher said. “Hearing that from one of my best friends made me feel special, and I wanted to do a good job for her and everyone else.”

Motivated by Dover’s advice, the Panthers had their best performance of the season. They finished second in the medium squad division and punched their ticket to the PIAA championships, which were Saturday, after deadline for this edition.

“I wanted them to show that they were all out there on the mat for a reason,” Dover said. “They were there to prove to the judges, the people in the stands and everyone else why our coach chose them to go out there.”

It’s the second consecutive season Franklin Regional has qualified for states. The Panthers placed seventh in the small division last year before moving up to the medium division this season.

Dover, Fisher and fellow senior Haley Macierowski are tri-captains. They led the team through a two-and-a-half minute routine that features stunts, tumbling, a cheer portion and a dance portion. The trio has been best friends for 10 years and cheerleaders together since sixth grade.

Franklin Regional coach Courtney Shovel said several coaches from other teams came up to her and complimented the team following their performance. Shovel was proud to see her girls carry themselves with confidence in a pressure situation.

“That was their first absolutely perfect routine that they had done all season as far as not having any falls or anything like that,” Shovel said. “They were just really comfortable with the material and their teammates, and they just went out there and had a good time.

“Our formula has been doing the skills we can as clean as possible. What people typically notice about Franklin Regional is the tightness and cleanness of the routine. That’s what we were hoping to bring, and I think the girls delivered.”

Macierowski was the only one able to cheer at states last year because Dover and Fisher were sidelined by injuries.

Getting to perform together this time around makes the trip to Hershey all the more sweet.

“It will be really nice to be able to compete together this year,” Macierowski said. “Obviously, it was nice to have them there to cheer me on last year, but it’s better to have each on the floor and motivating each other to do really well.”

Added Fisher: “It’s really great to have a best friend there to calm me down like Haley does for me. Before we go on, I don’t want to say I cry, but I get flustered to the point that I feel like I’m not good enough. But Haley is there to reassure me that I know what I’m doing and that we’ve practiced for so long. It’s awesome.”

The Panthers also are competing at the UCA National High School Championships in February at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., but before they make the trek south they want to put together a strong weekend at states.

“We really want to finish top three this year, because last year we were top 10,” Macierowski said. “It’d be a great goal to go out there and achieve. Honestly, all you can really ask is for the girls to do their best, and hopefully we’ll get whatever comes with that.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional