Local woman leads cheerleaders to national victory
by JILL SCHMELZER Reporter

Senior Captain, Jenna Sammarco, left, holds the first place trophy she and her teammates took home after the National Cheerleading Competition. She is pictured with her coach, Amanda Frese.

A 1998 graduate of Williamsville South High School led the cheerleaders at North Tonawanda High School to victory at a national competition in Ocean City, Md., on Feb. 24.

Amanda Frese of Williamsville took over as coach of the varsity cheerleading squad this past summer and taught the girls the skills required to win first place in the small-varsity category at the competition.

This was North Tonawanda's first title win at a national cheerleading competition in the past 10 years, Frese said.

The girls learned stunts with a high level of difficulty, including double-twist dismounts from two-person-high pyramids, basket tosses and stunts that included heel stretches and scorpions, where the flyer pulls her leg behind her head while being lifted by two base people.

The team consisted of 15 girls - four seniors, six juniors and five sophomores. One sophomore was brought up from the junior varsity squad at the beginning of football season, and the remaining four were asked to join the varsity team at the end of the season after a series of injuries and misfortunes, Frese said.

To win the national competition, the girls performed a one-minute cheer and 90-second dance, which included stunting throughout the entire two-and-a-half-minute routine. The squad beat five other teams for the title.

In preparation for the open national competition, the high school students competed in several contests this past year, including the University at Buffalo Cheer Competition where they won first place and the Jamestown Community College and Fredonia State College competitions, both of which earned them third-place trophies.

Frese said she decided the girls were ready for the big competition - where more than 200 squads from across the nation competed - after watching them grow together. She said they learned the stunts and routines quickly throughout the season.

"They never fight or argue," Frese said of her squad. "There is great camaraderie among them."

Prior to departing for Maryland, Frese told the girls "to go and have fun but still work for first place."

They did just that, with a flawless routine.

Frese was a cheerleader all four years at South High School and was a Buffalo Jill for three years. She is entering her second year as a Buffalo Bandette.

e-mail: JScmelzer@beenews.com