Submitted Photo The Warren cheerleading team includes: seniors Madisyn Eclund, flyer; Avery Olsen, flyer; Fisher, back; Johnson, back; Massa, side; and, Rylie Yeager, side; juniors Addison Downer, back; Jayden Slack, main/side; Makenzie Black, back; Olivia Goss, main; and Jaelyn Mohney, flyer; sophomores Abby Kent, main/back; Emma Carlson, main; Molly Suppa, back/side; Mya Stoddard, side; Alexa Eger, side; Jayna Phillips, main; Maddie Flannery, flyer; Ryleigh Ecklund, flyer; and, Lauren Anderson, main; and freshmen, Lauren Shattuck, side; Loralei Massa, main; Ella Bouchard, flyer; and, Elena Brocklehurst, back. The Dragons are assisted by Wendy Carrington and volunteers Rachael Shattuck and Alyssa Strandberg.

ERIE — Warren Area High School’s cheerleaders didn’t cheer a team on to a District 10 championship on Saturday; they won one themselves.

The Dragons won the D-10 Large Division Competitive Spirit Championship at the Haggerty Family Events Center.

Warren beat Oil City to come away with its second D-10 title (2017 Medium Division) and qualified for the PIAA State Competitive Spirit Championships next month by recording the second-highest team score. McDowell (86.3 points) and Warren (76.2 points) recorded the two top scores in the meet to advance to Hershey on April 10.

“If I’m being honest, I went in thinking it would be my last time ever competing as a Dragon,” said senior Lexi Johnson. “But walking out of that gym with the medal and knowing we were going to states was easily the best feeling ever. As soon as they announced we were one of the two teams going to states, I instantly had tears. We worked so hard for that moment, and I’m so unbelievably proud of how far we’ve come, especially with girls being quarantined left and right. Now, time to work even harder for a chance to bring home the state title.”

A long way from possibly not having a season.

“This year was challenging,” said Warren head coach Melissa Feaster. “We started the competitive season back in October. We started working on stunts, pyramid skills, transitions and so much more. With COVID restrictions, I had to have the girls practice outside because we were over the 25 indoor capacity. This was obviously not the ideal situation, but the girls made the best of the situation. Furthermore, COVID, closures and quarantines, has not made this process easy. Cheerleading is a sport that asks for perfection of the athletes that take the mat. Perfection is hard to master when athletes are missing from practices. The Warren cheerleaders have shown nothing but resilience this year.”

Competitions were nonexistent this year. The Dragons were only able to submit a video to two competitions, according to Feaster.

“We had only competed and were judged virtually before attending the D10 championships,” she said. “We were able to perform at the last home basketball game for the boys varsity basketball team and parents, plus the senior cheerleader parents. We thank those who stayed after the game to watch. It was a great in-person learning experience for the team.”

Not as great as Saturday.

“Winning the District 10 AA Large Varsity Division my senior year was a huge goal of mine, but competing at states has been something my team has been striving for all along,” said senior Ryan Fisher. “After being announced as the division champion and state qualifiers, I think we were all in disbelief. We competed against insanely-talented teams, and honestly I don’t think any of us expected to qualify for states. However, we spent countless hours working on perfecting our routine and I believe it definitely paid off. Going out on the mat, we all gave it our all and didn’t leave anything behind. I am so proud of my team and coaches, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity.”

There was a total of six teams competing: McDowell, Lakeview, Villa Maria, Oil City, Hickory and Warren. The D-10 champs were McDowell for coed, the Hickory Hornets for the small division, and Warren for the large division.

This year, the teams with the two highest scores overall advanced to the PIAA competition, regardless of the classification.

“The day of a competition is full of unknowns, anxiety, excitement and more nerves,” said Feaster. “This year was full of more anxiety because we had not been able to compete at a live event. … We had no idea about any of the other routines. Typically, we would have seen other D10 teams competing at a competition before districts.”

A cheer routine is 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Those 2 minutes, 30 seconds must have a cheer portion and a music portion. The score sheet is 100 points and “deductions” add to the excitement and anxiety.

“What goes into what I and the squad have accomplished is dedication and hard work,” said senior Caroline Massa. “I have been cheering with some of these girls for years now; we all work together and support one another. Coach Melissa has been our backbone and sets us up for success. We wouldn’t have made it this far without her. I have been cheering since second grade in WCYC (Warren County Youth Cheerleading). As I have grown through the years, I have gotten to cheer with so many girls, but this year, we are full of skills we never thought we would hit and are driven to be the best we can be.”