The Robbinsville High cheerleading team had its mini-string of two straight Grand Championships snapped, finishing second overall at this year’s Colonial Valley Conference Cheer Championships. However, the Ravens did keep one run alive by winning their third consecutive All Music Division title while also bringing home the Best Stunts award.
“We’re kind of on a streak right now,” coach Lauren Varnum said. “We had a really solid group of athletes with a lot of experience and a lot of skills. We definitely earned what we got. And since they didn’t win it all this year, now they’re hungry, they want to get it back next year.”
There is a consolation prize as there was still a little piece of Robbinsville attached to the Grand Champion. Township resident Nicole Avanzato cheers for Notre Dame, which won the night’s major award along with the Large Division title and Best Choreography prize.
Avanzato, now a junior at Notre Dame, was part of the Ravens Grand Champion team as a freshman and was happy to see them put forth another good showing this year.
“They came out and put up a great fight as they do every year,” she said. “They always come out with so much energy, enthusiasm and always know how to put on a show. When I was on the cheer team at Robbinsville I had a wonderful time. Even though I don’t talk to those girls as much as I would like to, they still hold a big place in my heart. Even if Robbinsville beat us this year I would still be so proud of the Notre Dame cheer team but I would also be tremendously grateful to have been a part of the Ravens team.”
As it was, she is tremendously grateful to be with a program that won its sixth Grand Championship and first since 2009.
“Obviously, I am proud of all the teams who came out and competed that day,” Avanzato said. “But Notre Dame, my new home, really deserved what we won this year. We truly gave it our all and left everything on the mat. When the announcement was made, words could not describe the excitement that was inside of me. As soon as I heard ‘Notre Dame’ tears ran instantly down my face. It was such a surreal moment in all of our cheerleading careers.”
Avanzato was a big part of the effort, according to coach Heather Kapuscinski.
“Danielle is a well-rounded cheerleader,” said Kapuscinski, who cheered at the University of Louisville. “She is a girl who can stunt and tumble. She has a strong dance background, which helps out with our choreography. She has a great relationship with her teammates and is a key piece to the puzzle of our team.”
Varnum was happy for Avanzato, who she enjoyed coaching two years ago. She was equally happy for her squad, which was led by senior captains Juliette Baran, Danielle Coscio (who will cheer in college) and Bonvie Fosam, and junior captains Elizabeth Stefanelli and Lexie Lettera.
The Ravens won with a 2 minute, 30 second routine that included all music with no traditional cheer component. It is the style that Varnum learned as a young All-Star club cheerleader with the Hamilton Stars. She also cheered for West Windsor-Plainsboro North and understands what the CVC competition means to the performers.
“Everything is exactly the same from when I was in it—the location, the schools attending, the awards, the atmosphere,” Varnum said. “It’s a local rivalry, you’re cheering at football games and you see each other, so the kids get excited. It’s all the same until you see the teams perform. The biggest difference is that is when you look at the routines, you see how much the teams have evolved from when I did it 10 years ago.”
What made the Ravens’ performance extra impressive is that they not only won, but also paid tribute to their late superintendent, Steven Mayer, during the routine. The music was custom made and produced by a cheer music producer with a special voiceover that recognized Mayer.
“The girls wanted to include something that would honor him,” Varnum said. “Obviously the school district and high school have gone through a lot the last year so we just wanted to kind of give a shout out in our own special way.”
The voiceover was a takeoff on Mayer’s catch phrase to his children when he would say “Make someone’s day today.” The lyrics were along the lines of ‘This is dedicated to [Dr. Mayer]…he would always say, the Robbinsville Ravens are here to make your day.”
Varnum noted that the 32-girl team—the largest in the CVC—began working on components of the routine in late August, right after tryouts. It was put together piece by piece and the finishing touches were not applied until just prior to the event.
“There are a few different sections,” the coach explained. “They started off with standing tumbling, and then did a stunt section where we were actually able to put up seven stunt groups. Then they did jumps and running, tumbling, an elite stunt sequence, and the pyramid section and the dance section. We cram a lot into the two minutes and thirty seconds.”
In the end, the judges felt Robbinsville had the most difficult stunts and executed them the best, which gave the Ravens two first-place finishes.
Rounding out the team were Tessa Baran, Sidney Belgio, Katie Benson, Julia Bocco, Bianca Dennis, Kiera DeSimone, Jamie Giblin, Mackenzie Kramer, Molly Langsdorf, Maryn Matisa, Mikayla McLaughlin, Chandler Stachowski, Alexa Cipriano, Bianca Focarelli, Amanda Hutchins, Kayla Patterson, Julea Robinson, Jessica Smith, Kylie Yurcisin, Katilynn Heilman, Paige Pietrini, Juliana Schott, Cleo Ulisse, Lauryn Zygmaniak, Mia Brades, Gia Carrubba and Carly Landow. Lauren DeSimone was the assistant coach.
The program has made huge strides since Varnum took over four years ago. And while she deserves credit for raising the quality of the program, she gives credit to her girls.
“They come in with a certain level of skills,” she said. “Honestly, over half my kids don’t have cheer background before they come to the high school, but they have some kind of background that help them excel at cheer—either competitive dance or gymnastics. I really have to chalk it up to a really strong group of seniors that kind of set the expectation early on. The kids all worked their butts off at every practice hoping to defend their title.”
Varnum also credited the administration for their support, noting that Athletic Director Curtis Wyers considers cheer a serious sport.
“It sets the tone for the expectations,” she said. “It’s not just coming and saying ‘Rah rah’ anymore. The sport has developed a lot. It just got recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) as a potential Olympic sport. The perception of the sport is changing and evolving as the sport itself grows and evolves.”
Avanzato echoes her former coach’s thoughts, noting that like any other sport, dedication is needed to survive long practices, pressurized competition, training programs and strength conditioning.
“Being a cheerleader is way more than just standing on the sidelines of a football game and screaming silly chants,” she said. “It’s more than just a bunch of girls jumping up and down on the sideline of a game. It’s something that can truly change your life in so many ways. It not only gave me so many great friends, but it’s given me a group of girls who I can call my second family. It has shown me responsibility and discipline. Some people don’t realize how much it takes to become a somewhat decent cheer squad.”
Or in the case of the Robbinsville and Notre Dame teams, an outstanding cheer squad.
The Robbinsville High cheerleading team won several awards at the Colonial Valley Conference championship. Pictured are: (back) Molly Langsdorf, Chandler Stachowski, Tessa Baran, Mikayla McLaughlin, Maryn Matisa, Elizabeth Stefanelli, Cleo Ulisse, Lauryn Zygmaniak, (middle) Amanda Hutchins, Juliette Baran, Bianca Focarelli, Kiera DeSimone, Mia Brades, Carly Landow, Sidney Belgio, Bonvie Fosam, Julea Robinson, Kayla Patterson, Gia Carruba, Katie Benson, (front) Paige Pietrini, Julianna Schott, Kylie Yurcisin, Mackenzie Kramer, Lexie Lettera, Kati Heilman, Julia Bocco, Danielle Coscio, Bianca Dennis, Jamie Giblin, Alexa Cipriano and Jess Smith.,
