Emilia Marinelli is a flyer on the Del Val cheer team who has been cheering for eight years.

She plans on going to Kutztown University to continue pursuing cheer.

Marinelli is proud to have won the state championships every year of her high school career. She also received the All American Cheerleading Award her junior year and is one of the captains of this year’s team.

Marinelli feels the hardest thing about cheerleading is the schedule and trying to balance it with school. She said it sometimes feels like she doesn’t have time to be a teenager.

“I’m very sad that it’s my final season as a Terrier, but I’m excited for college and what the next chapter brings,” said Marinelli.

Marinelli advises upcoming athletes who are considering trying out to stick with cheer and keep going.

“It’s hard at times, but in the end it’s all worth it when you make it to nationals,” said Marinelli. “Some practices can be hard and long, but the feeling of winning makes up for the bad days.”

Sara Matthews is a main base on the cheer team who has been cheering for 13 years.

She plans to attend East Stroudsburg University to pursue Acrobatics and Tumbling.

Matthews thinks that the hardest part about cheerleading is the commitment.

“It can be a lot, a lot of days every week, a lot of hours put into it, it’s a huge commitment,” said Matthews.

As her final season as a Terrier comes to an end, Matthews said that “It’s time to move on and start a new chapter.”

She gave some advice for upcoming athletes that are considering trying out.

“Be aware that it is a lot to do over school work, but if you want to try it [cheer], a thousand percent try it,” said Matthews. “If you can’t work with your teammates, there is no team. You have to think about it as a family, and families fuss at each other a lot but they always work through it together.”

Skylar Regep is base on Del Val’s team and she’s been cheering for 12 years.

Regep plans to work as a therapist after high school.

Regep won states all four years of her high school career and placed second at the national championships in 2022.

Regep explained that the hardest part of cheer is “understanding that some days might not be as good as others. Some things you were able to do before you might not be able to do as well the next day, and that’s okay. Don’t be frustrated with that.”

As her final season comes to an end, Regep loved the group of girls this year and the dedication they all brought.

“They try so hard, I am proud of them and my final season as a Terrier,” said Regep.

Regep believes a positive attitude can go a long way. It determines the disposition of practices and competitions.

“Coming into a practice with negativity is like putting your family down because one person affects the whole team,” said Regep.