THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 26, 1994 TAG: 9408240200
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
EVERYONE KNOWS the cheerleader stereotype - perky, preppy and relentlessly, well, cheerful. With a superiority complex.
And after that scandal in Texas (where, in the ultimate act of supporting your child's extracurricular activities, a woman tried to bump off her daughter's chief rival), cheerleading might be getting a bad rap.
According to Chrischa Ives, captain of the Indian River High School River Braves varsity cheerleading squad, people have the wrong idea.
``We're just like everyone else,'' she said. ``We do a lot of other things besides cheer.''
Yes, but they do that so well. The River Braves distinguished themselves from the rest of the pack earlier this summer by winning the International Cheerleaders Association state competition at the College of William and Mary.
One hundred other cheerleaders from the state of Virginia participated, and the win earned the River Braves a trip to the national competition in Nashville, Tenn., in December. The finals of the competition will be shown on ESPN.
``We really came together as a team to win,'' said Ives. Instead of the usual head-to-head competition, the River Braves elected to compete against the scoreboard.
Essentially, going against the scoreboard meant a tougher time for the 16 cheerleaders. Instead of being judged in relationship to how the other squads perform, the River Braves' performance was judged against an established set of standards.
If a squad fails to score at least a 90, they are eliminated from the competition. Indian River advanced to nationals with a 93.
``It was a risky choice, but we didn't just want to take home a trophy,'' said Ives, a rising junior. The judging is so strict in the scoreboard phase that one fall or bobble would have sent the River Braves home. ``It could have hurt, but I'm very pleased with how we performed.''
Although Ives and the rest of the varsity squad are looking forward to the fall football season, they took time recently to hold a clinic at Indian River Middle School. One of the most popular members of the squad among the young cheerleaders who attended was John Mitchell, who also plays the school's mascot.
You would think that Mitchell might get some good-natured teasing from his friends, being a guy in an activity usually reserved for girls. But he says nothing could be further from the truth.
``They think it's cool. A lot of them tried out with me, and they always help me with signs I have to make,'' Mitchell said.
Bobby Esposo and Lydell Sykes are also on the team.
``If they do say anything I just laugh it off, because I know they'd like to trade places.''
His parents were split on the news.
``My mom was happy, because now we have two cheerleaders in the family,'' said Mitchell, whose older sister was a cheerleader in college. ``My dad was like . . . `So, I hear you're a cheerleader.' Then he congratulated me and said maybe this would get me out of the house more often.''
In addition to the trip to nationals, seven of the River Braves (Stephanie Lewis, Angie Minter, Regina Caroon, Leigh Anne Edwards, Lana Gwaltney, Deirdre O'Connor, and Courtney Pogorelic) were chosen to attend a parade in Ireland in March.
O'Connor was the only cheerleader at the competition selected to the ICA All-American team.
The Indian River junior varsity squad also took home grand champion honors from the state tournament. They will compete in the International Open Cheerleading Championship, also in December. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by C. BAXTER JOHNSON
Indian River's varsity cheerleading squad won the International
Cheerleaders Association state competition.
by CNB