Three YAIAA teams eye PIAA cheer gold

Three YAIAA competitive spirit squads kept their PIAA championships hopes alive Friday at Giant Center.

Dallastown, New Oxford and Red Lion each performed well enough during Friday's preliminary round to move straight to Saturday's finals.

New Oxford and Red Lion join three other teams as finalists in the co-ed division. The Colonials, who are three-time state champions and the defending national champs, scored 77.03 points Friday, just behind first place Downingtown West, which totaled 78.73. The Lions came in third with 74.63 points.

Dallastown advanced straight to the finals in Group B of the medium division. The Wildcats scored 72.47 points.

The semifinals will be held Saturday morning, and the finals for all divisions will start at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and will be shown live on PCN's website. A fully produced broadcast, featuring interviews and analysis, will be shown on PCN TV at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13.

Other teams that participated Friday but did not advance were Central York (medium) and South Western (co-ed).

A list of qualifiers for Day 2 of the PIAA cheerleading championships:

LARGE DIVISION

Finalists: Cumberland Valley, Springfield-Delco, Elizabeth Forward, Baldwin, Richland

Semifinalists (one advances to finals): Central Bucks West, Derry Area, Norwin, Archbishop Ryan, Hopewell

MEDIUM DIVISION

Group A finalists: Haverford, St. Hubert's, Shaler, Hazleton, North Allegheny

Group A semifinalists (2 advance to finals): Bethlehem Freedom, Central Bucks East, Pleasant Valley, Berwick, William Tennet

Group B finalists: Pennridge, Bishop McCort, Dallastown, Easton, Archbishop Carroll

Group B semifinalists (2 advance to finals): Cedar Crest, Pocono Mountain East, Upper Darby, Central Bucks South, Neshannock

CO-ED DIVISION

Finalists: Downingtown West, New Oxford, Red Lion, McDowell, United

Semifinalists (one advances to finals): Allegheny-Clarion Valley, Chestnut Ridge, Allentown CC, Saltsburg, Tussey Mountain