MONROE, C.T. — Masuk High’s cheerleaders have been training and working on routines for several months, entertaining football and now basketball fans as they gear up for competition season.
The cheer team, led by Head Coach Diane Gaber and Assistant Coach Jackie Bennett, includes captains Juliana Pagano, Jess Minch and Carly Stalling, and the rest of the lineup comprises of seniors Lauren Rosati, Halle Allan, Amber Videira, Margarita Vlastaris, Erica Parrillo and Ashley Crespo; juniors Anne Marie Field, Sophie Abordo, Marissa Lee, Fiona O’Leary and Kelly Klages; sophomores Lindsey DuBois, Taylor Markut and Kaylee Edgar; and freshman Chloe DuBois.
After last season’s championships were wiped out by the impact of the coronavirus, coaches are hopeful of a traditional season unfolding with conference and state tourneys toward the end of winter.
“It’s great. The whole team aspect is so much more enhanced with the motivation to compete,” Bennett said during practice this winter.
The ultimate goal is to compete for titles — “That’s always the goal,” Bennett said — but the assistant coach added that the main objective is for the seniors to have a memorable campaign.
“I just want them to have fun,” Bennett said. “We have nine seniors. I want them to take this last year in as much as they can since it’s the end of an era.”
