The Plymouth State Cheerleading team geared up for practice Monday evening with a youthful and optimistic exuberance that is exemplified by their seventh-year head coach Carrie Kiley. Despite their confined training quarters in a racquetball court on the third floor of PSU’s PE Center, the Panther squad’s excitement for their upcoming New England Open Competition in Connecticut transcended a forced move to such tight training facilities. The squad has much to be excited about these days as they are enjoying a successful first year as a varsity sport after many years as a club sport and the past two years as an affiliate to the Plymouth State University athletic department. “Its exciting,” remarked Kiley when asked about her teams inclusion as a varsity sports program, “we have been training hard and it is nice to be recognized.” Their inclusion was announced February of 2006 by former president Donald P. Wharton.
The squad has been performing for the men’s and women’s basketball home games all winter long and are now getting ready to make their own splash in competition Saturday. “I think we’ll do well,” commented Debbie Richardson, a senior co-captain. “We’ve definitely benefited from tons of talent and a lot of work.” The talent Richardson mentions lies within a team that is composed of 14 first-year and two senior captains that anchor the squad’s solid work ethic and enthusiasm as well as five other juniors and sophomores to round out the 22 lady roster.
The squad has been preparing hard for their upcoming competitions that will include the trip to Connecticut on March 3rd for the New England Open, where they will be pitted against other Division III squads from all over the New England area. Also, they will be competing in the American Cheerleading Association’s College Nationals in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on March 17th. When asked about their chances in the upcoming tournaments, Kiley’s modest reply hardly masked the competitive spirit that saturated her, “We’ll compete well against the D-III, schools we just need to keep progressing as we have been; as for the Nationals, I’m shooting’ for top five. The girls have made great strides and worked hard down the stretch and it has definitely showed.”
“We have been doing really well lately,” remarked senior co-captain Haley Labuff, who occupies the back base position. “Our routine will definitely be put to the test in Connecticut and South Carolina.” The test will undoubtedly be handled well by a team that embodies the poise and professionalism that has worked the program to the level of varsity status since. “I’m glad we’re going to nationals,” said Erin Vogt, a first-year on the new varsity program. “I think we have been doing really well and I can’t wait to compete.”
With the seasoned leadership presences of seniors Haley Lebuff, Debbie Richardson and Caitlin MacInnis, and a talented cast of underclassmen, the emerging program of the PSU Cheerleading squad is the model of how a classy varsity program is run with hard work, dedication, a touch of humility and a seething competitive spirit that trickles down from Kiley to the seniors and then into the 14 first-years that make the future of this new varsity sport very bright and exciting.
The theme was progression this Monday evening in a humble and secluded training site for the girls, but the atmosphere was fun and relaxed as camaraderie, sportsmanship and hard work came together in the form of a PSU varsity Cheerleading team that is charged for action and giving us all a reason to cheer for the PSU cheerleaders.