By Brooke Monarch
Warrior
Utica HS
1st Place
Division 3, Yearbook Verbal
For the first time, the cheer program was made of three separate teams. However, according to the girls, they were constantly striving to be one family. The team’s new theme, “One,” was made to reflect the unity of the program.
“The varsity round one words were ‘one team, one mission, one heartbeat, one vision,’ and JV round one said ‘all for one, and one for U’,” coach Angela Micinski said. “The competitive theme “one” has a deeper meaning than the themes in the past, and really is something the girls can reflect this season. When the girls work as one, they can accomplish their goals, and accomplish them successfully. They will become closer, trust each other more, and create a more positive environment, which will result in us training, performing, and succeeding as one, together. The Utica cheer program is really one family, and this season they are creating an unbreakable bond, making all the teams great.”
In order to truly reflect this theme, Micinski said every cheerleader had to work together regardless of the team that they were on.
“On JV we are all a family,” sophomore Riley Sokolowski said. “We stick together and push through all the difficult tasks that are thrown at us. When we finish the tough things, we become closer, and compete better.”
Senior Autumn Holladay said they must all put in the work individually to achieve their personal best before being able to work together. With this new theme, the two teams were able to help push each other as a team and individually to be the best that they can be.
“Practicing the repetition of hitting your skills makes them perfect,” Holladay said. “In competition when each person’s skills are the best they can be, the entire team gets a good score on impression points, which is basically how clean the skills and overall performance looks.”
According to Holladay, the new theme has helped to set the mentality for the two teams that in order to reach their goals, they need to work together.
Y-02. Sports Reporting
Sports reporting for a season that makes the reader feel she/he is reliving the season. An individual story may not be submitted in more than one writing category. Submit a PDF of the page(s) showing the entry. CLEARLY INDICATE WHICH STORY YOU WISH JUDGED in Additional Information field if there are multiple stories on the page.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Solid lead that draws reader into story
- Meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing
- Evidence of adequate research
- Story gives reader a clear picture of season highlights and outcome with relevant player comments
- Adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice, freedom from editorial comment, careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors, correct use of grammar