With the 2024-2025 season starting off with a bang, the EPHS Competitive Cheer is all geared up to impress this season with their dedication, energy, and outstanding teamwork. The Varsity Cheer Team has been to 3 competitions this year, including Conference. They got 3rd at Oswego, 2nd at Niles West, and 5th at Conference! Competitive cheer is pretty different from sideline cheer. In competitive cheer, you go to competitions every weekend and it’s a lot more intense. On the sidelines, they don’t compete and it’s just more fun, if you’re not really competitive! As they kick off this new season, they have been training to make EPHS Competitive Cheer stand out. Let’s cheer this year’s cheer team on as they aim for a win in every competition!
This year, the Varsity Competitive Cheer Team consists of 15 talented cheerleaders. There are 2 freshmen, 6 sophomores, and 7 seniors. The freshmen are Ava Losurdo and Molly Brown. The sophomores are Serena Braglia, Madison Murphy, Sophia Casella, Willow Jenkins, Veronica Konarkowski, and Madison Ranallo. There aren’t any juniors, but the seniors are Anastasiya Bednarchuk, Isabella Braglia, Mya Calderon, Mia Lockwood, Matthew McClain, Olivia Shipinski, and Anna Zhdan. We interviewed 3 varsity cheerleaders from different grades to get to know some of the athletes a bit better!
Interviews
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Ava Losurdo, Freshman
“What was your biggest challenge as a freshman on a varsity team?”
“The biggest challenge as a freshman on a varsity team is getting to know the other cheerleaders. I was nervous because I didn’t want to get picked on for being a freshman.”
“What’s your favorite part of the routine?”
“My favorite part of the routine is the basket because I get a lot of air time, work on it for a long time, and get better and better at it each time.”
“Why did you join cheer at EPHS?”
“I joined cheer at EPHS because my friends were on the team and because the sport looked really fun.”
“If you could create a terrible Valentine’s Day gift, what would it be?”
“If I had to create a terrible Valentine’s Day gift, it would be a toilet plunger and a bitten piece of chocolate!”
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Serena Braglia, Sophmore
“What’s your favorite thing about cheer?”
“My favorite thing about cheer is the people and the relationships I’ve built with this team. From sidelines to competition, this team has given me some of my best friends. Getting ready together, performing together, and even the bus rides are always so much fun! I am so proud of everyone and we’ve come so far! Hopefully we make it to State this year!”
“What is your hardest skill and how long did it take you to achieve it?”
“The hardest skill for me is probably my cartwheel back tuck that I do in my competition routine. It took me lots of practice and fails to finally just believe in myself and go for it.”
“What’s your goal for next year’s season?”
“A goal for next year’s competition season is to not let my team give up if we’re not doing our best. I want to perform the best we can!”
“Do you prefer chocolates or flowers for Valentine’s Day?”
“For Valentine’s Day, I would prefer flowers over chocolate because I think it is a small gesture that means a lot.”
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Olivia Shipinski, Senior
“How long have you been cheering for?”
“I have been cheering for 4 years now at EPHS. I did cheer for a little bit when I was younger but not for long, as I did gymnastics for about 7 years.”
“What’s your favorite memory while being on the cheer team?”
“My favorite memory while being on the cheer team was definitely going to State in 2022. Our qualification at Sectionals was a shock to us, and it was definitely a moment I will never forget. Even though we weren’t one of the top competitors, we still made it that far and it was a great experience that I got to share with my teammates. Being a freshman on the team that year and coming right off of Covid made this accomplishment even more special for me.”
“Do you have any big competitions coming up?”
“We have our Sectionals competition coming up on February 1st! This will determine if we qualify for State or not and I’m excited to see how our team performs. If we don’t qualify for State, since I am a senior, it will be my last competition as well. “
“Would you rather go out or stay in for Valentine’s Day?”
“I’d rather go out for Valentine’s Day!”
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After interviewing three varsity cheerleaders, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of their passion and commitment that they have for this team. Collectively, their main goal for this season is to try and make it to State! The last competition will be February 1st to see if they qualify. They perform at 12:18 p.m. at Buffalo Grove High School! As they continue to push their limits and practice as much as they can, we can see that this cheer team is not just about the competitions; it’s about building bonds and unforgettable memories.
Work Cited
Serena, Braglia. Personal Interview. January 22, 2025
Ava, Losurdo. Personal Interview. January 22, 2025
Olivia, Shipinski. Personal Interview. January 27, 2025
