RallyNorth.net

Timberlane has veteran squad

Wednesday, October, 10 By Meghan Carey
Staff writer

This year's spirit squad at Timberlane Regional High School is going to be quite the threat, according to coach Nadine Holohan.

They didn't graduate any cheerleaders last year, and there are nine seniors on the squad.

"That's a pretty big bunch," Holohan said.

Overall, there are 15 competing girls and a couple of other girls who just cheer at games, Holohan said. And she has coached all of the girls the whole way through. She co-coached for one year, and then took over when these seniors were freshmen.

For the fourth year in a row, all of the competing members are tumblers. Two-thirds of them have a tuck or better, Holohan said. They've been working on their first number since late August for a tournament at Manchester West High School on Oct. 21.

"Now I don't want to give it away," Holohan said of their routine. "But we are doing elite level stunting. They are a very talented team."

The boosters club raised enough money to hire a choreographer from outside of New England for the first time this year, she said. Most of the top teams in the area have full tumbling and special choreographers.

"We have wonderful parent boosters," Holohan said. "That's how we fund everything."

Almost all of the Timberlane football cheerleaders also cheer in the winter. One girl moves to the ski team for the winter season.

"Most of them they stay two season because they know they get better in the winter," Holohan said. "It's a commitment of six months. These girls take cheerleading seriously."