Plum spirit squad falls just short of berth to PIAA championships

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

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There is a fine line between heartbreak and elation in sports, and Plum’s competitive spirit team learned just how thin of a margin exists.

Rebooted after a two-year hiatus, the team competed Jan. 5 at the WPIAL championships at Hempfield.

Plum coach Amanda Anderson had the results in her hands after the competition and the announcement that the team did not qualify for the PIAA championship.

“They gave coaches score sheets, and I wanted the team to know where they were,” Anderson said. “They could probably tell by my face we were so close, too.”

All that separated Plum from a bid to the PIAA championship was one-tenth of a point, Anderson told the team.

South Park earned the final spot to states with a 72.6 score to Plum’s 72.5.

“I felt so privileged to be a part of this team and to be around so many hard-working girls, but with that said, we were a tenth of a point away,” senior Isabella Russo said. “I couldn’t believe it. That’s just heartbreaking. We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this, but I’m excited they’ll push even harder next season. I know they’re going to make states.”

Russo was the only athlete to compete on the original competitive spirit team two years ago before it disbanded because of a lack of interest.

The interest, underclassmen on the team insist, won’t waver a second time.

“It’s becoming a more popular sport, because people are giving more recognition to cheerleaders,” junior Jordan Westbrook said. “We used to get the answer that cheerleading is not a sport, but people are starting to understand how much we work for it and how much we put into it.”

The team already has discussed ways to improve its score in 2020. Several want to raise the stakes by performing more challenging stunts, tumbles and skills.

“After hearing we were 0.1 points away and hearing coach talk about it, I think we all want to add more difficulty to what we do,” junior Olivia Pernice said. “We lacked some difficulty points this season. If we add to what we did this year, I know we will be better next season.”

The teams ahead of Plum in the rankings have been around for years, Anderson said.

“Knowing they were that close to teams who have had multiple seasons and a lot of experience is impressive,” Anderson said. “Those teams have gone to states before, so I think we should feel accomplished that we could hang with the big dogs.”

Anderson also called this season a building year.

“I think after seeing how close we were, they’ll be hungry to get back and be dedicated to making sure they get to states,” Anderson said. “I think the girls for the most part know this, but we still tell them that they are extremely talented. They showed that they can hold their own, so I think that will be very motivating for them.”

Shawn Annarelli is a freelance writer.

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