Newsday’s third annual Cheer Fest was a true embodiment of everything the sport was built on: energy, pride and school spirit.
Forty-seven of Long Island’s varsity cheer squads showcased those pillars at Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Sunday. It was also an opportunity to highlight some of the sport’s underlying values: perseverance, risk taking and making the most of any situation.
Ward Melville stunter Ian Licavoli and Whitman base Alexander Cerna know a thing or two about taking risks. Male athletes are few and far between on cheer squads, but the two make a convincing argument that there should be more.
“There’s a little bit of a brotherhood feeling about it,” Licavoli, a senior, said. “There are stereotypes about what cheer is — most people just think of football games — but it’s such a high-level sport that more men can thrive in and it’s exciting to watch it grow.”
Ward Melville took first place (95.40) while Cerna helped Whitman to a second-place finish (87.20) in the Class A Game Day session. A wide receiver for the football team in the fall and a competitive cheerleader in the winter, Cerna knows both sides of the coin.
“I think there should be more men in cheer everywhere,” Cerna said. “I would love to see them on every team. Cheer is for everyone. If you have the energy when you step on the mat, you can compete with anybody.”
In the Class B Game Day session, Seaford took the first place crown with a score of 89.70 while Carey was the runner-up with a score of 87.20.
“It’s super fun seeing everyone else do what they love to do,” Carey senior Megan Heinimann said. “Getting to experience everyone love the same sport, it’s just really awesome.”
New Hyde Park claimed fifth place in the class.
“We try not to get nervous and we use it as excitement instead,” senior Belinay Inan said. “We’re so happy to be with each other and be out on that mat. And this is our third year competing here so it’s a really exciting experience.”
Cheer Fest also featured six recreational, challenger and youth programs alongside the varsity teams. Former Brentwood varsity coach Tanisha Pessoa attended this year’s Cheer Fest with a different squad, but the same goal: improve and persevere.
Pessoa was removed from her position at Brentwood in October, but when she organized her own recreational team, many of her varsity athletes followed.
“It’s a different energy and a new feeling,” Pessoa said. “But it feels how we want it to feel. We knew there would be a little bit of a learning curve making the transition from one team to another, but the kids are all on board and so am I.”
To Brentwood seniors Maddie Kelly and Jasmine Rhoden, finishing out their careers with another coach wasn’t an option.
“I always wanted to be on Coach Tanisha’s team,” Rhoden said. “That’s the whole reason I kept cheering. I know she can teach me more than other coaches can, so it was great to come here and be on her team today.”
“It feels really good to keep competing together,” Kelly added. “Nothing has changed, we’re all a big family. Competition days are the best days ever.”
When it comes to making the most of a situation, Bayport-Blue Point is small but mighty. The Phantoms’ nine-athlete roster earned a fourth-place finish in the Class C Game Day session.
Freshman base Teagan Hennessey said when it comes to bringing the energy, she and her team find a way.
“This team has so much energy and so much potential,” Hennessey said. “I try to stay motivated and always push myself, and I encourage my teammates to do the same. It doesn’t matter that we’re a smaller team, we still have a big presence.”
Coach Danielle Guidi emphasized the pillars that cheerleading stands on — energy, pride and school spirit — because her team lives and breathes them.
“We try to hone in on what being a cheerleader is all about,” Guidi said. “It’s not about a number on the mat, it’s about who you are and what you bring to your school. Whether it’s eight athletes or it’s 26, we’re going to bring everything we got, all the spirit we have.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday’s high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
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