School for Deaf takes cheer title

From: Press-Enterprise, CA - 20 Feb 2003

COMPETITION: A 10-person squad takes first place in an international contest.

02/20/2003

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

The 10-member squad from California School for the Deaf, Riverside, scored big with judges at an international cheerleading competition.

The team won first place in the Varsity Division of the Aloha International Spirit Championships held Friday and Saturday in Hawaii.

The division consists of squads of cheerleaders, from ninth to 12th grades, with team members from the same school.

"We were all in shock," Coach Stacey Hausman said of the team's win. "I was jumping up and down like a hysterical person."

Valerie Berta/The Press-Enterprise
Stacy Hausman, cheer squad head coach at California School for the Deaf, Riverside, conducts a January practice with, from left, Fallon Haney, 14, of Riverside, Cesar Ayala, 16, of Coachella, Marlo Lovitch, 17, of Northridge, and Daniel Hernandez, 17, of Riverside.

The support of the community, coaches and teams at the competition helped the squad succeed, she said.

By participating in the event, the squad of five boys and five girls became the first deaf school to compete in an international cheerleading tournament, school officials said.

"They're wonderful ambassadors for the School for the Deaf," school Event Coordinator Laurie Pietro said.

©2003 Belo Interactive Inc.