Unbeatable Spirit Butler competitive cheer squad dominating
CENTER TWP — The Butler High School competitive cheering squad is undefeated this season — and hopes to stay that way.
The Golden Tornado — in their second year as a coed unit — have won every regional tourney they've competed in to date and have received two bids to February's UCA Nationals in Orlando, Fla.
“We took first place in a regional in Miami, Ohio, in October and we won the Allegheny regional at Slippery Rock University Dec. 2,” coach Marianne Miller said. “This is a focused team, that I believe can succeed at the state and national level.”
Butler will compete in the WPIAL Competitive Spirit Championships Saturday at Hempfield High School. The Tornado finished first in the large coed division at the WPIAL meet last year, third overall behind Bethel Park and Baldwin.
At the PIAA Championships, Butler finished second to McDowell among coed teams. This season's PIAA Championships are Jan. 11-12 in Hershey.
“We've had a year's experience as a coed team now and everyone is a lot more comfortable with it,” Miller said. “We placed 12th at nationals out of 43 teams last year.
“We got to the finals in our first year (as coed) and that was a big step for us.”
This year's roster has 21 cheerleaders, including returning boys Logan Donnel and Nathan Baker. J.R. Herold is a first-year male on the team. All three are seniors.
Herold, a linebacker on the football team, is looking to continue his grid career in college. Geneva, Grove City, Washington & Jefferson and Wooster (Ohio) are among the school's he's considering.
“I talked Logan (Donnel) into trying football this season and I agreed to try this,” Herold said.
Donnel saw action at receiver and defensive back for the Tornado last fall.
“I never thought this would be as competitive as it is,” Herold said. “I like it. I'm impressed by how well everyone gets along.
“You make a mistake in football, you get yelled at. It's kinda the nature of the game. You make a mistake here, everyone's friendly about it and works with you to correct it. It's a very positivve approach.”
Donnel, Baker and Herold are joined by three other seniors — Kamryn Heller, Aleigh Kradel and Logan Francis — on the competitive squad.
“This team has strong senior leadership,” Miller said.
Heller, who played basketball through ninth grade and competes in the javelin, long and triple jump for the track team, has been a cheerleader since second grade.
“I could see such a difference in this team when I came back this year,” she said. “It's our second year of coed and it feels like we're so much farther along than we were at this time last year.
“We're a better team as a whole and we're working together.”
Kradel is in her 13th year of cheerleading and said she enjoys the positive attitude and support that comes with the sport.
“I love the hard work everybody puts in and all of the friendships I have here,” she said. “Our goal is to win states and place in the top five or 10 at nationals. I know we can make that happen.”
The cheerleading team practices approximately seven hours a week in addition to cheering at home and away basketball games.
Francis is in her first year with the Butler competitive team after being part of the FCA Diamonds for years. She has a background in dance and acrobatics.
“I missed my sophomore year with an ACL injury,” Francis said. “Overall, I've been doing cheerleading for 14 years. I couldn't do both FCA and the high school team at the same time and I really wanted to give this a try.
“I love it. This team has so much potential.”
Juniors on the Butler squad are Peyton Holt, Emma Herold, Natalie Marburger and Mykaela Lipscomb.
Sophomores are Samantha Penrod, Kendall Atkinson, Nadia Hindman, Yaz Cupec, Emma Rihn, Brynne Shay and Aleena Hutchens. Freshmen are Bella Shook, Sophia Wogan, Jenna Birckbichler and Mya Slomers.
