Kittatinny cheerleaders win nationals

By LAURIE GORDON
NEWTON – The Kittatinny Cheerleading Team has been up to some amazing stunts which have earned them national notoriety. The team earned a bid at summer camp allowing them to attend the High School National Championship which was held in Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 24 and 25. The team placed fourth in "Fight Song," fourth in "Cheer" and 10th in "Dance" which gave it the highest overall combined game time score out of 36 teams and a total of 86 routines naming the Kittatinny Regional High School Cheerleading Team the Small High School Game Time National Champions.
"We went into the National Competition thinking that it would be really hard to win," said senior co-captain, Rebecca Rodrigues, "But we were all positive and we did it."
Senior co-captain Jessie Patterman said, "In our journey through the season we all saw that we needed each other to work as one to be victorious. Coach Lupo always told us that we needed to work together to win not just as a team but as a family. When we performed, we did it for the girl next to us and for our coaches and that gave us everything to get to this point. Our victory was not given to us. It was earned, and we will never forget that moment or this team for the rest of our lives."
Kyra Brettler, also a senior co-captain, said, "One thing I always say to my team is, 'We can do it.'" She added, "Coach Lupo always give us the confidence and inspiration to know that with a little confidence, anything is possible. Throughout our whole journey to Nationals, we kept telling the girls to believe that we can do it. I truly believe our confidence in knowing what we are capable of is what pushed us to take home the title."
Senior co-captain Kerri McSweeney said, "Cheering for the team is more of bonding with your family. Coach Lupo mad sure that we were close and that we acted as one whether we won or lost. To have the chance to go to Texas twice and win both times with the same coach was truly a blessing. She pours her heart and soul into us. Winning nationals is an experience none of us will ever forget."
In the fall, Denise Georges of Fredon, who is in her 19th year coaching the team, is the head coach of the Kittatinny High School Cheerleading Team and Samantha Lupo of Stillwater and Karyn Soltis of Wantage are the assistants. In the winter, staff shifts – Lupo is the head coach with Amy Ricciardi of Wantage and Georges assisting her.
"Every year is a new beginning even when you have a number of returners," Lupo said, "This year was no different. We started at camp in July with a dream and a fight to be the best team we could be. The girls come together as individuals who want to improve individually and progress into athletes who want to improve as a whole. They are not 19 individual athletes but instead one cohesive group with 19 hearts that want the same thing."

This fall, the team won the West Milford Competition, first in cheer and first in routine, took medium varsity championship in the HWS Competition, placed second overall at the Cheer Camp's Elite Competition and won the best pyramid award, and took first place at the Hopatcong Competition. The team received the top team award at the NCA Summer Camp and was the Champion Cheer and Champion Chant winner. They had 11 All-American Nominees. Three of the team's members were selected as All-American team members: Rodrigues (named top All-American with the highest tryout score from the entire camp), McSweeney and Brettler. Brettler was selected fro the Overall Camp Leadership Award which is awarded to only one senior for the camp. She joins the ranks of Lupo, and former Kittatinny Cheerleader Heather Kilduff who also received this award when they were seniors.
Lupo said the most challenging thing about coaching is "pushing each athlete to their individual best and remembering they are not all the same and can't all handle the same amount of intensity." She said the most rewarding part is "when they do something you've coached them to do when you thought they weren't listening."
Georges grew up in Hampton, attended Kittatinny (where she cheered) and then cheered at Lycoming College. Soltis attended West Milford HS (where she cheered) and then William Patterson. Riccardi grew up in Wantage, attended High Point High School (where she cheered) and then went on to the University of Conneticut. Lupo grew up in Stillwater and attended Kittatinny, where Georges was her high school coach. She then graduated from Kutztown University. Georges coached Kittatinny to its first notable championship of Small Varsity State Chanpions in 2002.
"That was during my senior year and the start of Kittatinny cheerleading's tradition of excellence," Lupo said. To Lupo, cheerleading was, "something I always did." She started out cheering for the Kittatinny Midget Football League. "I wanted to be part of the game and cheering was the closest I could get," she said, "I love not only supporting football, basketball and wrestling but working hard to be part of creating new and impressive routines every year." Georges was part of the very first Kittatiny midget football cheerleading team. Georges' parents Pat and Stan Pavlak helped to start the KMFL program, and prior to that, the only cheering option for Georges was to cheer for the only rec cheerleading program in the county at the time, which was the High Point Hawks. Riccardi has a background in competitive power tumbling and was a High Point High School cheerleader and is co-owner of J-Town Cross Fit in Jefferson, Soltis went to West Milford High School where she cheered then after having her boys, went to William Patterson.
The team roster is: Brooke Walgren (junior), Faith Van de moore (junior), Gianna Gentile (junior), Jasmin Borgonia (freshman), Julia Kruck (freshman), Marissa Kepnes (sophomore), Nina Rodriguez (junior), Sarah Dudes (sophomore), Sophia Torppey (freshman), Sophie Brettler (freshman), Tara Kominik (freshman), Taylor Kettle (sophomore), Tori Frisbie (freshman), Vanessa Valentine (sophomore). Seniors include Jessie Pattermann (currently undecided on which college she will attend), Keely Katzenstein (currently undecided on which college she will attend), Kerri McSweeney (who will be attending and is planning to cheer at TCNJ), Kyra Brettler (who is planning to attend and cheer at Vanderbilt), and Rebecca Rodriguez (who is planning to attend and cheer for Florida State). All of the girls hail from the Kittatinny sending district which includes the towns of: Stillwater, Hampton, Sandyston and Fredon.
"We are so proud not just of this current team but of every Kittatinny cheerleader that has come before because each has played a special role in making Kittatinny cheerleading what it is today," Lupo said, "We are cheerleaders and true athletes."