ERIE, Pa. - Death. Taxes. And first-place finishes for the Daemen College cheerleading team.
Participating in their first competition since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly two years ago, the Daemen cheer squad claimed first place at the Great Lakes Championship held today at the Hagerty Family Events Center on the campus of Cathedral Preparatory School. The Wildcats, led by seniors
Samantha Chick (Niagara Falls, N.Y.), Ja'Veana Garnett (Buffalo, N.Y.),
Alyssa Gennaro (Clarence, N.Y.),
Daniela Mateo (Bronx, N.Y.) and
Alayna Salzler (Arcade, N.Y.), also claimed the distinction of grand champions at the competition.
Since being elevated to varsity team status prior to the 2018-19 academic year, the Daemen cheerleading team has placed first in all seven competitions it has entered. Today's action marked their first since competing in this same event back on March 7, 2020.
"We have been working hard on this routine," said head coach
Brianna Aichinger, who has presided over each of the program's first-place finishes in the last four season. "Going into this competition, we hade many injuries and challenges along the way, but we were able to hit a solid routine with no deductions. It was a great feeling watching the women perform today."
The Daemen cheer squad will return to action next Saturday, March 12 at the Queen City Championship at the ADPRO Sports Fieldhouse in Orchard Park.
Daemen College features the only NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
