Led by Coaches Alison Diskin and Kayla Heinlein, Pembroke celebrates a third straight win for Division I  during this year's Genesee Regional Cheerleading Championship Saturday evening. Alexander won Division II.  Pembroke also included the winner of Ronald McDonald House All-Star, Ashley Johnson, shown below. 
Submitted Photos

Batavia High School cheerleaders participated in the Class D2 small school sectional tournament on Saturday.

The team did not score enough points to advance to the next round.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Now in their 12th year, the Batavia Bulldawgs’ “family ties” are as strong as ever.

The youth football and cheerleading program has grown substantially since its start in 2011 thanks to a one-for-all and all-for-one philosophy that values each and every member of the organization, said Commissioner John Reigle on Saturday afternoon as he watched his players take on Tri-Town and Akron at the new Genesee Community College field.

“What makes the Bulldawgs truly special is the athletes, volunteer board members, coaches and families that take part in it,” said Reigle, who is one of the founding fathers of the program (along with Matt Della Penna, Paul Grazioplene, Tyrone Woods and Ken Proefrock). “I play a small part in this wonderful organization, and it’s been an honor.”

Emily Konfederath, an Alexander High School senior, and Emma Quintern, from Kendall, have been named to the cheer squad for the Ronald McDonald All-Star Game, to be played in Houston in March.

The cheerleaders won their spots on the team through their individual routines in a competition held in Attica.

The Ronald McDonald All-Star Game features top high school basketball talent from throughout the United States. Proceeds from the event benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a home-away-from-home for families with children receiving medical treatment at nearby hospitals.

The Grinch didn't steal Christmas on Friday night during halftime of the Oakfield-Alabama vs. Pembroke basketball game. He just stole the hearts of families at the game who signed up for pictures with the famous Dr. Seuss character.

The photo session raised $134 to support O-A's varsity cheer program.

Submitted photos.

A first-year travel cheer team from Pembroke, aged 9 to 13, have competed in a total of four competitions and won first place in all four.

Kelly Abramski, one of four coaches for the teams, said the project began with cheerleaders from the Pembroke Youth Association football team and that the girls worked hard all winter.

"The big news here is our little squad from Pembroke is traveling all the way to Virginia Beach to compete in the nationals this weekend," Abramski said. 

UPDATE: Additional information in this press release:

Two local girls and a coach, all from Batavia, will be attending their first-ever competition in Florida with Dynamic Elite Athletics, Batavia resident Robin Cook says.

They will be attending the Summit cheer and dance Championship at Walt Disney World Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex beginning Thursday through May 1.  

Kayla Gangarossa, a Batavia High School graduate, is the coach of the Level 2 ICE team, and her daughter, Payton Spikes, will be going with Level One Junior D1amonds, Cook said in an email to The Batavian. 

Payton is a fifth-grader at Batavia Middle School. Her mom Kayla was a coach for Batavia Bulldawgs cheerleading, and Payton and her Batavia school peer Hailey Armison were Bulldawgs cheerleaders. Both Payton and Hailey will be participating in the Florida event. Dynamic Elite Athletics is a cheer and tumbling center based in Rochester. 

"This will be our first-ever D2 Summit, as well as our first-ever world finals for our open level 6 team Legacy,” Gangarossa said. “We will be kicking off our decade of purple and teal and celebrating 10 years of Dynamic Elite Athletics the week after we return from the summit."

The Summit Championship, founded by Varsity All-Star in 2013, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022 and will showcase more than 1,500 teams and 24,000 competitors from around the globe. The Summit Championship is promoted as a way to provide a unique experience for athletes to compete against the best of the best across all levels of competition. 

Top photos of Payton Spikes and Hailey Armison; the girls' cheersport team and Coach Kayla Gangarossa and Payton, her daughter. Photos submitted by Robin Cook.

Batavia residents Jacklyn (Borrelli) Pratt and Nicole Borrelli co-coach together for a competitive cheerleading program, New York Icons. The sister coaching duo is honored to have their team, Celebrities, representing their program at the upcoming Summit Championship in Orlando, Florida. The Borrelli sisters have been coaching cheerleading for over 10 years and have been co-coaching their Allstar team together for the past three seasons. These sisters have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with within the cheerleading community.

New York Icons, a local Allstar cheerleading and tumbling training facility, in Rochester is proud to announce that Celebrities will be attending The Summit Championship on a PAID bid in the Small Junior Level Two Division to compete at one of the nation’s most prestigious cheerleading competitions produced by Varsity All-Star. Varsity All-Star is a division of Varsity Spirit – the global leader in cheerleading.

The Summit Championship, held at Walt Disney World® Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from April 28 to May 1, is the season-capping goal for many competitive all-star teams. The Summit Championship, founded by Varsity All-Star in 2013, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022 and will showcase more than 1,500 teams and 24,000 competitors from around the globe. The Summit Championship provides a unique experience for athletes to compete against the best of the best across all levels of competition. The Summit Championship and The Dance Summit Championship continue to grow offering multiple paths for teams to have a competitive, prestigious, and celebratory end to their seasons.

The Borrelli sisters and their team have worked extremely hard this season, especially coming off the pandemic and the challenges they faced last season. “We could not have asked for more from our athletes this season,” says the Borrelli sisters. “They have consistently scored the highest overall score throughout our in-season competitions, and we are very proud.” They are heading down to Florida as the TOP Northeast Region Team on the Varsity Leaderboard. 

Jacklyn is a Special Education Teacher at Gates Chili Middle School and the Program Assistant for Gates Chili’s Cheerleading Program. In addition, she has worked with several Genesee Region High School Cheerleading Programs over the last several years and has worked closely with Attica High School. Most importantly, her number one role is being a mom to her one-year-old, Jackson. Nicole is an office manager in Rochester and is the JV Cheerleading Coach for Gates Chili High School along with her other coaching duties and apparel coordinator at New York Icons.

Submitted by Tess Diskin:

Pembroke Varsity Cheerleading made history by first winning their division and then being named Grand Champions for the entire Genesee Region Cheerleading Championship held at Attica High School last night. This is the first time in school history that Pembroke has won the title. First-year head coach Alison Diskin remarked, “These athletes are determined and driven to exceed any expectation that is set for them. It is the start of a new era in Pembroke Cheerleading.” She continued, “We are working on building a seamless program starting at the youth level and working up through Modified, JV and culminating with our Varsity squad. Coach Diskin talked about the importance of having her juniors and seniors mentor the younger athletes so as to carry this year’s success into the future. Her coaching team consistently stresses having the entire program work together to build strong and dedicated cheerleaders, just like the ones who won today.

Submitted photos.

Sign ups for the 2021 OAE (Oakfield-Alabama/Elba) Titans Youth Football and Cheer League will be held on this Sunday, June 13, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Registration will be at the Oakfield Community Center, located at 33 S. Main St. in Oakfield.

Unlimited weight is allowed for ALL positions.

Sign up for:

• Beginners -- 6-7 years of age
• Minis -- 8-9 years of age
• JV -- 10-11 years of age
• Varsity -- 12-13 years of age

Please provide: Birth Certificate & proof of health insurance. 

Cost for Football and Cheerleading is $130 per athlete.

Cash, personal check, and payment via Venmo are accepted.

"Continuing a Tradition!"

GO TITANS!

With questions, contact League Commissioner, Brandon Spurling (585) 297-3197 or League Secretary, Elizabeth Mullen (585) 813-5337.

Email: oaeyouthfootball@gmail.com