HOWELL – The Howell High School Cheer Team are now eight-time National Champions and 11-time State Champions.
The Howell Rebels recently competed at the AmeriCheer International Championship at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The team won the Large Varsity All Music division, which is one of the largest divisions at the championship, coming home as national champions.
Courtney Kalafsky, who is the Competition Cheerleading Coach, spoke with The Howell Times about how the competition team operates and the steps they take to end the season at Nationals.
The Howell High School Competition Cheerleading team has an eight-month season, with choreography beginning in August. Their first local competition is in January, with States in February, and Nationals in March.
Throughout those eight months, the team practices two to four times a week. They compete almost every weekend from January through March. This year, they competed at seven local competitions: the NJCDCA State Championship, and the AmeriCheer International Championship. Their record was 7-2.
In addition, athletes in the program participate on at least one of the sideline teams, whether it’s football or basketball.
“We are an ‘all-music’ team, meaning that we actually do not say any words in our routine – rather, we aim to lead the crowd solely through our stunting, tumbling, jumps, and performance skills. We do themed routines, and our routine this year was a boxing theme! The theme was reflected in our music and choreography,” Kalafsky said. “The Howell Rebels are consistently a strong competitor in the state, performing routines that incorporate what the state considers to be ‘Super Elite’ skills.”
On February 24, the Howell Rebels won the All Music Mega division at the State Championship. They also won the Group 4 State Champion title. The team had the second highest all-music score overall as well.
The Howell Rebels competed at the AmeriCheer International Championship at Universal Studios, winning the Large Varsity All Music division. (Photo courtesy Courtney Kalafsky/ Howell High School)
The team then moved on to compete at the AmeriCheer International Championship at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, where they won the Large Varsity All Music division.
“Our program has a long history of achievement in cheerleading, with our first recorded state title in 1988. Since 2008, we have won 11 State Division Championships, four Group 4 Championships, and eight National Championships,” Kalafsky said.
The Howell Rebels captains this year were Haylie Coyle, Katelyn Finnegan, and Gina Oberschewen. Additionally, three senior athletes were selected for the New Jersey All State Team: Haylie Coyle, Jayla Devino, and Gina Oberschewen.
Photo courtesy Courtney Kalafsky/ Howell High School
“Our team this year was one of the hardest-working groups we have coached. After placing second last year at states and nationals, although still incredible accomplishments, our athletes came into this season hungry. We are of course so proud of the discipline and effort our athletes put in this season to learn and perfect new, difficult skills, but we are most proud of the people that these athletes are. Our athletes are kind, supportive, and always looking to better themselves and each other. This group truly deserved every accolade they received, because they earned it through hard work. We are especially thankful for the passion and leadership of our eight seniors and three captains – they molded our team and season into something unforgettable. Cheerleading takes heart, and there was no shortage of it on this team,” Kalafsky said.
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