Port Chester cheerleaders stage rare three-peat in regionals
November 20, 2024 at 11:31 p.m.
Port Chester High School’s cheerleading team deserves a cheer of its own.
They staged a rare three-peat by winning three divisional championships this past weekend (11/16/17) in the United Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Regionals in Johnstown, Pa.
The P.C. junior varsity and varsity took first place in three routines: the varsity winning in the Traditional and Game Day competition while the JV swept top honors in the Game Day routines.
Going to Disney World
By finishing first, they received bids to compete in the UCA Nationals in February at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
"This means in my three years coaching the varsity team and as head of the cheerleading program, both JV and varsity have won first place and received bids to nationals, Port Chester head coach John Gonzalez said after the event.
All teams received their highest scores ever at a regional competition, he said.
Hard work pays off
Their performance is testimony to how hard they and their coaches have worked.
Jackie Sagastume, for example, was added as another head coach alongside Leah Yusi, a former Lady Rams cheerleader. And Alexis Navatta was added as an assistant coach.
With Gonzalez as the head of the P.C. cheerleading program, interest has grown with a varsity that includes 19 competitive student athletes, 17 on the JV and around 50 on the mod squad.
Last year Port Chester finished 11th in the national competition at Disney World, just outside the top 10 teams in the country while inching closer to the Pride of Port Chester, the school's famed marching band, when it comes to national prestige. And Gonzalez hopes the ever-improving cheerleaders will do even better this year.
The coaching journey
But hoping alone doesn't make it happen. Working hard does. And Gonzalez has been working hard almost his whole life to achieve excellence in his chosen profession to the point where cheerleading and dance excellence has become a labor of love, and he is trying to bring that winning cheerleading feeling to Port Chester.
Gonzalez started young at St. John's Prep in Astoria, Queens, winning a cheerleading scholarship to Hofstra University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and moving onwards and upwards ever since to his current day job as a dance educator for Ascend Public Charter Schools in Brooklyn. He has a colorful side gig as the youngest member (age 42) of the senior dance team (oldest member 87) for the New York Liberty's Women's National Basketball Association professional hoops world championship team. He was on the Barclays Center court in Brooklyn performing during various times when the Libs won their first title in 27 years Oct. 20, that winning feeling one of the highlights of his more than 20-year career which has included many stops on his way to Port Chester.
His varied experience includes teaching all levels of jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary dance, and beginner ballet at private studios and NYC schools. His choreographing expertise comes mainly within the dance and cheerleading competition industry where he and his teams have won multiple championships. His training and accreditations include various certifications from the Universal Cheerleaders Association, the New York State Dance Education Association and the National Dance Educator Organization.
Stops along way
Gonzalez has also, among other things, danced in "The Lion King" at Disney World, appeared on TV on shows such as "Good Morning America" and "Good Day New York," been a cheerleader/dancer for the New York Knicks pro basketball team as well as the Libs, an assistant cheerleading coach at the College of Staten Island, and has over 10 years of experience as a judge for Dancers Inc., Step Up To Dance, Universal Cheerleaders Association, American Youth Cheer and The United States All Star Federation.
He had to twice overcome back surgery after all his twists and turns threw his back out. He has also overcome a lot more before he returns to his Bronx apartment after a long day's journey into night which includes 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. cheerleading practices at Port Chester High School where he helps build championship routines while preaching how the sport is a great proving ground for student athletes looking to be recruited for college athletic scholarships.
Gonzalez has paid his dues on his way to getting the cheerleaders to think like winners who belong on the national stage, which is where they are heading after their regional three-peat. So here's a cheer for the Port Chester cheerleaders and their coaches and the nucleus of the winning varsity that includes student athletes Gabriel Ponce, Kelly Pascale, Madison Mollica, Amy Navas, Charlotte Burke, Yvonne Santiago, Melina Morban, Mia and Madison Pagnotta, Josse Carrillo, Jadalyn Moscoso Gonzalez, Myisha Cruz, Kate Richardson, Natalie Ceruzzi, Fiona Lovallo, Manuel Barcenas and Elizabeth Magana.
So, go Rams go. All the way to Disney World!
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