Baldwin, South Park, Laurel win WPIAL spirit championships

By: James Dotson
Saturday, January 4, 2020 | 8:12 PM

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The new year also marked the potential beginning of a new era for competitive cheer in Western Pennsylvania.

Baldwin, South Park, and Laurel were big winners at the eighth WPIAL competitive spirit championships Saturday at Hempfield.

It is the first WPIAL championship for each of the three spirit squads.

“They have worked so hard,” South Park coach Andreana Radomski said about the Class AA champions. “We have 10 seniors on the team, and to see them finish their WPIAL career as a winner is amazing.”

Class AAA champion Baldwin scored the highest of the 33 teams competing. The Highlanders topped Pine-Richland by 5.45 points on a 100-point scoring scale.

Laurel edged Neshannock by 2 points for the Class A title. Spartans coach Jenn Horodyski credited determination and consistency to their success.

“In the past, we’d be making changes (to the routine) on the bus,” Horodyski said. “I haven’t changed a thing since August. I think that going with that consistency is really what has paid off for us.”

In addition to the three WPIAL champions, 12 other teams qualified for the PIAA championships beginning Friday in Hershey.

Pine-Richland won the small-squad competition (five to 15 competitors) and qualified for its eighth straight trip to state championships. South Fayette finished second, and South Park placed third. Shaler, Norwin and Elizabeth Forward also qualified.

Penn-Trafford won the medium-squad competition (16-20 competitors) and secured a seventh straight PIAA appearance. Hempfield finished second, edging Franklin Regional by less than a point. North Allegheny and Thomas Jefferson also received automatic bids in the division.

Baldwin won the large-squad competition (21-30 competitors) and received the only automatic bid in the division.

The three final bids for the PIAA championships from the WPIAL were determined by the highest scores of the remaining squads. Butler (large squad), Seneca Valley (medium squad), and Laurel (large squad) received the three at-large bids and will represent the district at states. Butler will compete in the co-ed division at the state level.

For Laurel, qualifying for states was a ‘dream come true.’ Horodyski said her goal was to compete for the WPIAL Class A title, and she did not emphasize qualifying for states.

“Yesterday at practice, I gave the girls two pieces of paper,” Horodyski said. “I told them ‘On one paper, write down your dream for tomorrow, and, on the other paper, write down your fears.’ We ripped up our fears and threw them in the trash, and we practiced with our dreams on the mat. Every girl wrote ‘win WPIALs and go to Hershey.’ Their dream came true today. I could not be more proud of this team and what they have accomplished.”

Laurel was one of five schools to compete in the smallest classification, and is the first WPIAL Class A school from the WPIAL to qualify for states since Neshannock did in 2016. One of the smallest schools in the competition, Laurel competed in the large varsity division, putting all 26 girls on the mat, rather than potentially limiting the squad’s numbers.

Horodyski thinks Laurel’s victory could be a stepping stone for more competitive spirit squads across the district. She hopes more small schools compete as a result.

“I think this is also a victory for small schools, too. If you look at the number of humungous student-body members that we beat today, it’s remarkable,” she said.

For South Park and Radomski, the celebration won’t last long.

“We’ll practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, leave Thursday,” she said. “We’ll give them tomorrow off.”