On the sidelines throughout this winter season, the College of Staten Island Cheerleading program is now set to take center stage, performing tonight at Lehman College as part of the 2014 CUNYAC Championship competition. The Dolphins, who came in second place in the team competition last year, are hoping for an even greater result this season.
The College of Staten Island has come a long way on the cheerleading mat over the years. The co-educational, non-varsity squad was in limbo for six years before resurrecting the program in 2008-09. They continuously came in second place in the competition before finally breaking through and being crowned champs in 2012, something they had not done since 2003. This year, the championship takes place at Lehman College, after CSi served as host for the past two years.
The Cheerleading competition within the CUNYAC is an interesting one. It is the lone true competitive event that the conference offers in the sport, and because of this, the pressure and anxiety can be felt all over the facility on competition day. Teams have nearly two minutes on the floor and one shot to get things right, and for teams like Staten Island’s, it is the culmination of over four months of hard work crammed into a tiny window of time.
The evening doesn’t only feature the competitive cheer routines that vie for a championship. There will also be three rounds of competition that feature Stunting, Jumping, and Tumbling. CSI will compete in all three of those events as well. Prior to the events, junior varsity and varsity cheer squads from high schools and outside cheer programs will be performing as well. It’s all part of what is an exceptional showcase of cheerleading put out by the conference.
Tickets are sold out for the event tonight, and you will need a ticket for access. Doors open at 6:15pm, with the showcase starting at 7:00pm.
