Allegra Bruke, Sports Editor
November 7, 2023
On Sunday the 23rd, Port Chester Cheerleading hosted their first ever home competition. Following a successful homecoming game against Poughkeepsie this past Saturday, the athletes’ spirits were already high. The two year old renovations to the gymnasium made it a perfect place to hold a whopping 700 hundred spectators.
High School cheerleading is composed of two different routines. A traditional routine which includes aunts, jumps, a pyramid element, and much more.The other routine is called “Game Day”, and has recently been officially announced as New York State’s cheerleading fall sport. This routine is a reenactment of what would normally occur at a football game. Poms, flags, signs, and many other unique props are used in a combination of dances and cheers to convey school spirit and mimic the football atmosphere. 32 teams from all over section 1 including modified, JV, and varsity were invited to compete on Sunday.
The morning started off bright and early with the four modified teams competing, and Eastchester took the win. Port Chester JV and Varsity received a respective 3rd and 4th place. They poured their hearts out onto the mat and couldn’t have done it without the support from the town. This event brought the community together to celebrate the spirit of Port Chester, and was an opportunity for Port Chester Cheer to make a name for themselves in Section 1.
The night ended with the grand championship round, where the 1st and 2nd place teams from each varsity division competed to see who is the best of the best. Eastchester varsity cheer took home the grand champion banner, after a breathtaking performance. This event is one that Port Chester cheer will never forget with the team being extremely excited to host again on February 3rd. This was a great success from a fundraising point of view and will aid the cheer team on their road to nationals in 2024. Multiple other sports have expressed that they would like to follow the lead of the cheer team, and host their own tournaments and competitions in the upcoming years.