Pittsburgh traffic could not keep the Ambridge cheer team from repeating as district champions.
The Bridgers survived stopped traffic in the City of Bridges, made it to Hempfield in time to compete and took home their second consecutive WPIAL Class 2A competitive spirit championship Saturday.
“From Pittsburgh through the Squirrel Hill tunnel, we were stuck, and we knew we would not get here until our warm-up time,” Ambridge coach Amanda Palshaw said. “Especially having 12 girls as nervous if not more nervous as we are…for them to come out and perform the way that they did, I’m extremely proud of this team.”
Hempfield returned to the top of the WPIAL Class 3A championships scorecard on its home court in the afternoon session. It is the Spartans’ fifth district title since 2021.
“There’s no greater feeling,” Hempfield coach Suzy Mayer said. “We had some ups and downs throughout the season, and we clicked at the right time this week. Momentum was building from the beginning of the week, and they were their best when they had to be.”
Hempfield, which also won the Class 3A large squad competition, was one of five 3A teams to “hit zero” with a no-deductions routine.
“WPIALs is harder to win now than ever,” Mayer said. “Every other team is getting so good that I didn’t know if (winning districts) would ever happen again. This feels like a bit of a dream.”
“It comes down to execution,” Palshaw and fellow Bridgers coach Jenn Phillips said. “It’s execution over everything.”
The Bridgers also won the Class 2A small squad title.
Neshannock, the defending PIAA Class 2A large squad champion, took home the Class 2A silver medal and was crowned Class 2A large squad champions.
“Our goal is always qualify for states,” Lancers coach Colleen Daughtry said, “and coming home with a medal around our neck is icing on the cake.”
Canon-McMillan earned its first district medal as the Class 3A runner-up and 3A small squad champion.
“These girls have been working incredibly hard,” Big Macs coach Brianna Fine said. “Every practice, we set an expectation and they prove us wrong (by going above) that expectation. They deserve all of the credit.”
Norwin, South Fayette and Baldwin joined the Spartans and Big Macs with no-deduction routines and earned state qualifying bids.
“It shows that our side of the state is so strong and is going to represent well in the PIAA finals,” Fine said.
Central Valley, Elizabeth Forward and Hampton join the Bridgers and Lancers as Class 2A qualifiers for the state championships, set for Jan. 9 and 10 in Johnstown.
In Class 3A, Penn-Trafford, North Allegheny, Butler (co-ed champions), Seneca Valley and Thomas Jefferson qualified for states as well.
Mars and Plum earned the final two Class 3A spots as at-large bids for the state championships, which are three weeks earlier than they have been in the last few years.
The earlier district championships caused a lot of headaches among the athletes and coaches.
“It lit a fire under us, too,” Daughtry said. “We don’t have time for break or the holidays. We have to stay on top of it earlier, and that’s a very good thing.”
For the Bridgers, repeating as champions was a matter of proving it to themselves.
“A big tagline for us (after losing a big senior class) was ‘Prove it’ because the seniors didn’t know if they could go and do a hard routine like that cleanly … we told them to prove it to themselves and to the fans,” Palshaw said.
Hempfield being a contender again shocked nobody, but their “surprise fake-out” to the end of their routine certainly had everybody on the edge of their seat. The Spartans squad got to their “final” pyramid, but then when the music paused for a moment, the team then went into one final stunt to conclude their performance.
“Two years ago at nationals, I saw a small varsity team do a surprise ending,” Mayer said. “I just remember thinking that this is something we have to include in the upcoming years.
“It’s just that wow factor, and it’s truly a surprise that people don’t see coming … so far it’s my favorite routine that we have ever had.”
Seventeen schools will represent the WPIAL out of the 120 competing at the PIAA meet.