By Max Sass, Assistant Sports Editor
Often times winning back to back national championships would make major headlines, but despite the intense workload the Hofstra cheerleading team puts in and the great success they have had, not much praise is showered upon them.
The team won their second straight and fourth in the past five years UCA College National Championship in UCA Small Coed Division 1. "Winning never gets old," said Alek Kociski.
While everyone is home relaxing, the team works over winter break, preparing for the two minutes and 30 seconds they have to perform their best routine down in Orlando, Florida. "We come back the day after Christmas and then we have two to three practices every day until the third week in January when we go down to Florida," said Lenee Passiglia.
Working incredibly hard for such a short amount of performance time leaves no time for sight seeing in Florida. "It is all business," said Nicole DiSalvo.
The 30 or so cheerleaders that you see at basketball or football games are not the same group that goes to Nationals. "There is a separate tryout to be on the game team and the competition team," said Passiglia.
Christine Farina and Matt Jones coach the team. Jones was a two time national champion as a member of the Hofstra cheer team and is now a back-to-back national champion as the team's assistant coach. Farina creates all of the team's routines for the year. "She is tough," said Kociski. Passiglia added that, "I think hands down she is the best coach any of us would say we have ever had."
"We probably had the best team we have ever had here," said Passiglia. "The most talented, seasoned veterans, not too many rookies. We went down with the best routine we've ever had. When it came time for our finals performance we messed up things we had never messed up before." "It was devastating," said DiSalvo.
What makes these victories even more impressive is that just one fall eliminates a team. "When you fall you lose," said Kociski. The teams have to be flawless, perfect in order to bring home the gold and the Pride have done that in two straight years and in four of the past five.
Consistency year to year is impressive for a sport that has difficulty recruiting men. "The hardest part would be bringing the new guys in," said Kociski. "Guys hear cheerleading and they go running," said Passiglia.
Even though the men are hard to find, they are the key to the routine. "The heart of our program is that we do all those crazy partner stunts," said Passiglia. In the small coed division, four men are allowed on the mat at one time. In the large coed division, 10 men are allowed on the mat. The men single handedly throw the girls in the air and the girls perform different types of flips and tricks. "You get used to it," said Passiglia of being thrown in the air.
The team also entered a team in the All Girl Partner Stunt Competition. The team of Passiglia, DiSalvo, Jaclyn Riportella and Arianna Scanlon came in second place. "They are not going to brag about it, but I'll brag about it for them," said Kociski. "All the best girls come to this competition." Hofstra entered the competition for the first time ever and finished in second place, exceeding the team's expectations.
(Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Cheer Program)