West Orange Cheerleaders Show Champion Spirit, Notch 1st Place Wins

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School cheerleading team continues to make their hometown proud.

On Dec. 4, the WOHS team recently notched a first-place win in the Varsity Medium Non-Tumbling Division at the UCA Pocono Regional Competition in Kutztown, PA. The win gave the team an automatic bid to the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC) in Orlando, Florida this February.

This is the third year the varsity team will compete at Walt Disney World Resort in the televised competition on ESPN and ESPN2, school officials said. Last year, the Mountaineers placed sixth nationally and took regional and state honors.

In addition to the varsity win, the junior varsity competed and won first place in the Non-Tumble division, also earning a bid to the nationals.

"This is the first time the JV has ever competed regionally, and although we will not be sending them to nationals this season, it is still a huge accomplishment paving the way for the future of our program," WOHS Head Coach Olivia Del Spina said.

Competition isn’t the only venue that West Orange cheerleaders have displayed the poise of champions, however. In October of 2015, the entire West Orange High School cheerleading team, football team and marching band paid junior Mackenzie Fitschen a visit at her home, bolstering the cancer-battling teen’s spirits with a personal pep rally.

• See related article: Cancer-Battling N.J. Cheerleader Gets Pep Rally From Peers

• See related article: WATCH: West Orange Cheerleaders 'Shake It Off' All the Way to Nationals
• See related article: West Orange High School Cheerleaders Capture Championship
• See related article: West Orange High Cheerleaders Take 1st In NJ Competition

Photo courtesy of Cynthia Cumming

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com