Step Stomps its Way to First-Ever Championship

Wed, 06 May 2009 19:35:58 GMT

By Tiffanie Galan, Staff Reporter

By Tiffanie Galan
The Step team poses after taking first place at the regional Step competition at Christ the King High School on April 25.

On Saturday, April 25, the SJHS Step Team took home the first place trophy– at the Girls Catholic High School Athletic Association’s Annual Cheer/ Step Competition at Christ the King Regional High School in Queens . As some of you may know, it was absolutely sweltering hot that day and I wasn’t really in the mood to be in a gymnasium full of people screaming. However, once I got there, I changed my mind. The doors opened late, but that wasn’t too big of a deal. Other faculty and students from St. Joseph attended the competition, and we were all really pumped. We sat down and waited for the doors to be cleared so the competition could start. Around 11:00 teams were called out, and excitement filled the room. We sang the National Anthem and the fun finally began. The cheerleaders, both junior varsity and varsity, competed first. It was definitely a great way to start off. It’s amazing how much effort those girls have to put into doing something that looks so graceful and on point. When the cheerleaders finished, the step competition started. Step is very different from cheerleading. There is no music – the only beat you hear is the stomping of feet. It looks pretty simple, but actually doing it is a completely different story. This was the second year that St. Joseph has competed in step. This whole year they have been working very hard, and their hard work has shown through. Watching them on Saturday was a great privilege to me. They were fantastic! Sass, attitude, and enjoyment are characteristics that our step team possesses. When watching them perform, you know they are different from all the rest. They are unique. They tell a story. They have talent. When the girls finished, there was a loud roar coming from both sides of the gym. Everyone loved it! No words could explain how proud I felt to be in a school with such talented people. When the awards for step were being announced, everyone was really anxious to see who won. Nazareth High School won third place, Christ the King won second, and St. Joseph won first! Cheers were let out, and tears of joy were shed. Congratulations to the St. Joseph Steppers for their wonderful victory! The Step team includes: Nichole Prime (captain), Freyani Patrice(co-captain), Victoria Myrthil (co-captain), Jennifer Heinz, Trecia Brown, Shanice Mitchell, Jaliene Ruiz, Nyesha Turpin, Katrina Hoyt, Chanice Deare, Rednael Long, Rachel Ruiz, Shiovahn Gustave, Sheina McClendon, Que- Kenya Rivers, Nicole Miller, Melisalyn Tybias, Adriana Gibson, Hannie Jean-Gilles, Hannah Jean- Gilles, Margarita Rodriguez, Sherden Sampson, and Elena Cruz.

The Parmentier

Step Stomps its Way to First-Ever Championship