Reading Pop Warner Cheerleaders Advance on all Levels.

Reading Cheerleaders Advance

All three of the competing Reading Pop Warner cheerleader teams competed at the Middlesex League Competitions and each team scored well enough to advance to the Eastern Mass Championships on Oct. 27, as they began their march to the Pop Warner National Championships at Walt Disney World last weekend.

The A Team led by head coach Libby Colbert is a grizzled bunch of veterans who have gone deep into the
competition process every year they have competed, including finishing fourth nationally in 2009 at Disney World.

The team consists of: Courtney Bedingfield, Rachel Bevere, Kristina Boni, Nicole Brussard, Jamie Callahan, Mariella Casciani, Lorraine Cusolito, Kara D’Arezzo, Megan Eagleston, Kiera Fallon, Shelby Gerrior, Kristine Iantosca, Emma Johnson, Halle Kirk, Devon Lewis, Morghann McGonagle, Raquel McInerney, Taylor Perillo, Amanda Richmond, Katie Skinner, Sophia Spadafora and Jess Tango.

"We have a great bunch of girls, who have a ton of high-level experience," said Colbert, whose team has advanced to the New England Championships (one step before Disney) before being eliminated, the last two years. Loaded with athletic tumblers, this team is as fun to watch as any other team that is competing.

On the Pee Wee (C Team) level, head coach Katie Brussard has a nice blend of young veterans and athletic newcomers, who have worked hard to become a force in their level of
competition.

As a D team last year this team advanced to the Eastern Mass Championships. "The girls had a great experience last year, and now they know what to expect when they at these competitions," said Brussard.

The roster is made up of: Katie Bean, Caroline Brussard, Taylor Cote, Riley DiLoreto, Marla Driscoll, Kayleigh Ebert, Kate Faucon, Kailey Fitzpatrick, Taylor Holmes, Ashley
Keaveney, Addison Marshalsea, Kristin Murphy, Sarah  Murphy, Jaqui Oliver, Sophie Polidoro, Rachel Sheikh-Abdou, Ashley Shutt, Allison Tompkins, Emma Tucker.

Head coach Pamela Barcroft leads a D squad that is very young in comparison to the teams it competes against, but has so much young, talented girls that is in the mix of the best teams in their category.

For many on the squad this was their first taste of the competition atmosphere and according to their coach they responded well. "We may be young and lack experience, but what we don't lack is a great bunch of skilled cheerleaders who work very hard," said Barcroft.

The 17-girl squad consists of: Ashley Barcroft, Lily Bennett, Anna Bonazoli, Sophia Bonfilio, Lauren Ciccariello, Arianna Dimeo, Meghan Gorman, Hannah Healey, Kristin Leyne,
Sophie Lightbody, Abby May, Jenna Nadeau, Lilly Raneri, Ella Tango, Olivia Torello, Caroline Turner, Natalie Wilson.

On the Mitey Mite (E) level, head coach Lori Haverty boasts the youngest and largest roster in the organization with 27 girls.

These girls are all first year, seven-year-olds participating for the first time with coach Haverty.

The roster is made up with: Julia Barbato, Madison, Battaglia,Victoria Bean, Olivia Beaupre, Natalie Benassi, Isabella Bielicki, Mikayla Cail, Emily Croteau, Olivia Fiorenza, Madison Fox, Danielle Gaudet, Lily Haverty, Jessica Hayes, Grace Hoag, Leah Holmes, Sophia Isbell, Courtney Keaveney, Ella Keddy, Phoebe Kilduff, Taylor McGrath, Victoria Moniz, Ashley Ockerbloom, Megan Pappo, Jessica Pomerantz, Riley Stapleton, Ava Vaccari, Nicole Wilson.

The E level doesn't compete as it is meant to be instructional in the eyes of Pop Warner. They do, however, get to perform at the Middlesex Competition as an
exhibition team, where they just perform, but their routine is not scored by the judges.

According to Haverty the team is progressing nicely. "These girls have learned so much in a short amount of time and we are having so much fun together."

The Eastern Mass Championships will be held at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell on Oct. 27.

Director of Cheering for Reading Pop Warner, Louise Perillo urges any RPW football players and Reading residents to come and cheer on the young ladies in Lowell.

"If you've never seen a cheerleading competition you don't know what you're missing," Perillo said. "These girls work so hard, are great athletes and would love to see the town come out and support them."