Students
The Mars Area High School Competition Cheer Team advanced to the finals of the 2023 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship, held Feb. 10 to 12 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.
The team took eighth place with a score of 95.3 in the final round of the Small Varsity Division II Game Day. The Planets advanced to the finals, after tying for third place (94.1) in the semifinals.
Team members include seniors Alina Glentzer, Sydney Heim, Lucy Huggins, Elsa Scheide, Madalynn Schwartzbauer; junior Kelley Kozesky; sophomores Mackenzie Aufderheide, Ellie Koma, Gabriella Lapina, Brooke Southwell, Addisyn Vavala and Isabella Yoshioka; and freshmen Riley Carrel, Josie Dressen, Alexandria Lefcakis, Paige Nicholson, Bella Staines, Avery Symchak, Teagan Tumulty and Addison Vargo.
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The Pine-Richland/Mars Area U.S. Air Force JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps) drill team took third place overall in the McDowell JROTC Drill Meet on Feb. 4 at McDowell High School in Erie.
The team earned first place in the JV Unarmed, Female Color Guard (led by junior Alanna Shaw), and JV Color Guard (led by sophomore Ryan Galbraith) drill team categories; second place in the Varsity Armed Drill Team event; and third place in the Uniform Inspection, Varsity Color Guard (led by junior Alanna Shaw),Varsity Unarmed and JV Armed drill team categories.
In individual knockout competition, senior Tyler Brown, junior Trenton Farley and sophomore Erin Kemp placed in the Top 10 of the varsity event and sophomore Erin Kemp in the JV event.
