University City High School - Excelsus Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

Page 51 text:

Top row: Pat Tanquaqio, Jill Hemingway. Annete Peynado, Andrea Hill. Celeste Ogata, Bottom row: Lydia Rios. Nikkie Weaver, Junifer Ravelo, Julie Aylesworth, Heather Croft, Nancy Nadeau. How sweet it is. Hey look us over. Varsity Cheerleaders 45

Page 50 text:

United Are We Let me see you get down, yelled Nikkie Weaver smiling as she twisted down to the ground. This was a favorite cheer of the Varsity squad in which the crowd and the girls took turns getting down. Another bizarre antic of the squad was the one and only cockaroach. The girls lay down on their pom poms flailing their arms and legs in the air like an overturned cockaroach. When it came to crowd involve- ment the girls were prepared to do whatever it took to get them motivated. Anything goes, as Nancy Nadeau put it. In addition to cheering the Varsity squad or- ganized and participated in the school pep ral- lies. The first one right after summer had a beach theme, in which the girls entered in beachwear but threw it off, symbolizing the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. Dancing was a big part in the pep rallies, the most memorable being the traditional fight song at the conclusion of the rally. All of these activities took a great deal of time and effort. The girls spent most of their summer learning cheers and many long, hard hours after school drilling and perfecting them. Spending so much time together resulted in a very close group of friends, like a family with head cheerleader Julie Aylesworth as the mother figure. Each had her own personality and contributed to the completeness of the squad. Although they were all different, in the way they strove together to promote school spirit, they were all the same. They were united not only on the field and in voice but in feeling and friendship. The sentiment of being togeth- er as one was best illustrated in the cheer, United are we! OK, who took my skirt? You can go to battle. I ' m going home. Come on. take the picture Don ' t mess with U.C.H.S. 44 Varsity Cheerleaders

Page 52 text:

Our Spirit Is Sl y High Boy are we enthusiastic. We are feeling G- 0-0-D, cheered the eight members of the J.V. Cheerleading squad. Their kicks, flips, jumps, and pyramids combined with an assortment of catchy cheers helped to excite a crowd that came to cheer their team on to vi ctory. Each girl was a different individual who pro- jected her own personality and expression in stylized cheers and chants. Laney ' s alto voice could be heard throughout the stadium (even without a megaphone) shouting, Let ' s go big blue. Jenna Scarafone ' s back handspring dis- played the perfection of an acrobat. The purpose of these eight highly motivated girls was to get the crowd ' s adrenalin flowing at football and basketball games and also at pep rallies. This they did when they led the crowd with easy to remember cheers that encour- aged the fans to clap their hands and stomp their feet. It undoubtedly inspired the teams to give just a little bit more. The girls had much devotion. Our squad this year worked together as one and we devel- oped many special friendships! commented Head Cheerleader Sue Ventimiglia. Lara Klein replied, A good cheer squad succeeds in pro- moting school spirit if they do it without think- ing that they are better than everyone else. ...u,a . 3iLJ;.-, Top row: Laney Beres, Jenny Lees, Beth Nadeau. Wendi Scheck Hayakawa. Lara Klein, Jenna Scarafone, Sue Ventimiglia. Bottom row: Rosalia The cheerleaders enthusiastically inspire the crowd. All right, all right, all right, awesome, awesome, awesome Head cheerleader. Sue Ventimiglia, gives her dazzling smile 46 J.V. Cheerleaders ' Hey, Crowd! Show your spirit!