As a product of the successful Pinkerton Academy spirit program, Londonderry High School coach Becki Barden would love nothing more than to have her Lancers begin to enjoy even a modicum of the success the PA squads have been having for years now.
And Barden’s bunch may well have taken a step in that direction Sunday, March 15, when it finished third out of eight teams at the New Hampshire Division I spirit championships at Pinkerton in Derry.
The Lancers qualified for the title round of the big event by placing sixth overall in preliminary-round competition at PA a week earlier. And on the day in the finals, the LHS contingent tallied a team score of 97.9 to finish behind only the Dover High Green Wave (103.4) and the host Lady Astros (107.6).
“We believed top three to be a very real possibility from the start of the season,” said Barden, who was assisted by Chelsea Murfitt. “You never really know what the other teams will bring, so we are only targeting improvement. This team understands that it takes hard work, lots of focus, and practice to better themselves. They put their time in, worked together, and pushed to improve at every practice, so we would’ve been proud of them for their accomplishments this season whether or not their placement showed it.”
It was veteran Pinkerton coach – and Barden mentor – Michelle McCarty’s charges’ sixth consecutive winter title and the 20th in PA spirit program history.
As a result of its success, the Londonderry squad has also qualified to compete at the New England regional championships at Lawrence (Mass.) High School on Saturday, March 21.
The Londonderry High team’s athletes include Becca St. Pierre, Meghan Evangelista, Dennis Bishop, Holly Alix, Jessica Brien, Megan Butler, Corinne Dubois, Erin Kelly, Kelly McEachern, Taylor Mellinger, Ally Morris, Cassie Stuart, Julia Thorpe, Mariah White, and Lauren Zins.