NOTEBOOK / Cheerleaders From Longwood Rally for Awards:

Altherr, Stacey. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 14 Dec 1997:

The Longwood High School Varsity Cheerleading squad has been traveling over the New Jersery line to reap wins and entertain crowds.

The team took first place in the Northeast Regional Cheerleading Association Championships last month at Rutgers University.

The winner’s sister team, Longwood Junior Varsity Team, took second place in its division at the same event.

The two Longwood teams planned to compete Dec. 13 in Freehold, N.J. and also in a national competition held Dec. 27 in Memphis.

Three Cheers!

Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 10 Jan 1998

Even if you suspect that some of the dangerous acrobatic stunts employed by cheerleaders aren’t worth the risk, it’s easy to feel pride in the Longwood High School cheerleading squad. Longwood won the World Cheerleading Association championship in Nashville last month, a tournament that annually draws entries from 240 squads of cheerleaders. What’s more, it’s the fourth time since 1989 that the Long Island school has won the national prize.

Few people understand the competitive niceties of cheerleading, but there is something in successful competitors that sets them apart. Jessica Jones, the 17-year-old Longwood captain, expressed that something well. Said she: “We all have such high standards. Nobody is happy just being mediocre.” That’s something that will strengthen these girls for the rest of their lives.