HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING: ELMIRA EXPRESS EXCITED TO COMPETE AT STATES (24 PHOTOS) (2024-03-02)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
On Friday night the Elmira cheerleaders were on the sidelines rooting on the Express basketball teams as they brought home sectional titles.

Hours later those cheerleaders will take center stage Saturday morning as they compete in the New York State Cheerleading Championships at the Visions Memorial Arena in Binghamton.

“I’m so excited,” Camille Ellis said.

“I am so excited, I am excited for everything we have done,” Avianna Simpson added.

“We worked so hard and put so. Much into this and I am so proud of this team,” Molly Mosher said.

The Express won the Section 4, Class A cheer championship and they will be in the first session at 9 a.m. today. For the Elmira cheerleaders it’s special to have the championships near home where their family and friends can see them.

“I really appreciate that all my family can come and it will be easy travel,” Ellis said.

My family has made it to almost all of them (the meets) this year and it makes me very happy and just feel whole,” Simpson added.

“I am so excited my family can come to this and see me,” Mosher added. “They are always there to support me and I appreciate it so much.”

During halftime of the boys game on Friday the Express cheerleaders did their routine, and they know it can only help to get a practice run in front of a packed house.

“Having the big crowds coming up, it gives us an expectation of what to expect and how to work on our nerves coming up,” Ellis said.

“The big games helps with adrenaline and it helps to see the crowd and know people support you no matter where you are,” Mosher said.

Coming off the energy on Friday night the cheerleaders are ready for this morning.

“The adrenaline rush I have going on right now has me so hyped for tomorrow, I’m so ready,” Simpson said.

Since sectionals there has been a lot of work to perfect the routine.

“Just perfecting our performances and making sure everything hits,” Ellis said.

“We have been perfecting and working on everything over and over and over again and hopefully we got it tomorrow,” Simpson said.

“We just worked on cleaning it up, making sure everything was perfect,” Mosher said. “Improving our sounds and trying to get as many points as we can.”

The excitement level is high for the cheerleaders, even though they know it will be an early morning.

“I’d rather sleep in a little bit, just a tad bit, but we can do it,” Simpson said.

That doesn’t mean the girls won’t rest up on their way to the arena.

“I’m happy to be there, but 7 a.m. on the bus, I’ll be sleeping,” Mosher said.
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