Cheerleaders looking to make mark at regionals

A marking error may have cost the Muskie cheerleading team sole possession of second-place at the NorWOSSA competition here Saturday but the girls are intent on making a splash at the North regional showdown this weekend in Thunder Bay.
Competing against the Dryden Eagles and Kenora Broncos in front of a full house at the Fort High gym, each squad gave a two-and-a-half minute performance set to music.
After Kenora won the overall title with 301.3 points, the judges mistakenly added their tally and scored the Eagles ahead of the Muskies.
“I thought for sure we had second,” said head coach Borka Gauthier, whose team racked up 224.7 points to Dryden’s 211.5 (scoring based on technical ability and artistic impression).
“So it was quite the shock when they announced we were third,” she added.
Since Ontario Cheerleading Federation rules state medals cannot be taken away once awarded, it was decided Fort Frances and Dryden would remain tied for second.
Despite Saturday’s added drama, all three squads will compete against six other Thunder Bay schools at the regionals Sunday at Lakehead University’s C.J. Saun-ders Fieldhouse.
Any team competing at this event can move on to the OCF provincials held in Mississauga, Ont., in April.
Gauthier was proud with how her young team, which had been chosen in December and only practised for six weeks leading up to the Saturday’s competition, gelled in such a short time.
“The support between the girls was something I was really impressed with,” she said. “I’d say in the last few weeks, we’ve really become a team.”
Team captain Jen Krag agreed, noting 10 of the 18 girls on the squad are newcomers to the sport.
“I was really impressed with the way things came together,” the Grade 12 student said. “For the amount of time they had, we did really well.”
Gauthier added the key is to continue to get support for the program—and the veteran members have delivered so far.
“Jen’s been a great captain,” she noted. “Missy [Burnell], Tracey [DeAmicis], and Shanna [Calder] have all had excellent input in our routines and stunts.
“Darren [Johnson] and Joyce [Scott] from the school have also been really helpful to get this thing off the ground again,” she stressed.
“It’s going to be a good experience,” Krag said of this Sunday’s showdown. “We’re not looking at it from a winning perspective. We’re just going to have fun.”