After a rigorous training season, the SHS cheerleaders are excited to begin competing at the start of November. The team began practicing extensively in August for five or six days per week in preparation for the start of the season. Captains Marykate Filos ’17 and Cammy Sharlach ’17 are looking forward to a great season. “Practices have been pretty good. Everyone has been doing really well,” stated Filos ’17. Their first competition is at Eastchester High School on November 14th and the team feels ready to dominate another season. The cheerleaders perform a two and a half minute routine which the judges then score. Last year the team qualified for Nationals, and this year the girls are hoping to reach that level once again. Stacy Monteiro, the Raiders’ head coach, has enjoyed training the team. “The girls don’t only excel at competitions, they are the spirit leaders of SHS,” explained Monteiro. The hardest part of the season so far has been adjusting to the large team. “Getting used to a team of 20 girls has been tough because usually it’s only 12,” explained Sharlach ’17. They have been working to build a routine around everyone, and hopefully become as successful as last year’s team. “We’ve been working really hard and with a few injuries we have had to switch a lot of things around, but we are still getting a lot done, and we can’t wait to compete for the first time in a few weeks,” concluded Filos ’17.

By Sarah Shah and Zoe Frishberg

Photo Courtesy Ariel Kachuro

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