Robinson captures state cheerleading crown

Posted Feb 5, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 5, 2012 at 04:18 PM

Just 17 months after suffering the tragic loss of their coach, Robinson High’s competitive cheerleading squad has emerged with a state title in the sport.

The Knights achieved that impressive feat Friday at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee when they captured the Class 1A Large Division Varsity crown. They scored 73.3 points to edge a strong Ponte Vedra squad by 3.7 points in the final round. Land O’Lakes took third with 59.5.

In the fall of 2010, Robinson’s cheer team—and the entire school—was dealt a devastating blow when their coach and popular Robinson teacher Tina Maiorana died unexpectedly in her sleep. That season, the Knights went on to finish third in the state finals.

This time, there was no denying the Knights. They grabbed a narrow two tenth of a point lead over Ponte Vedra after the semifinals and saved their best performance for the finals to capture their first state crown in the sport.

Steinbrenner’s girls, meanwhile, were the state runners-up to Winter Park in the Class 2A Varsity Medium Division. The Warriors scored 86.8, less than three points behind first-place Winter Park.

Steinbrenner sat in third place after the semifinals behind Hagerty and Winter Park but turned in a solid final round to take home the runners-up trophy. Hillsborough County champion Freedom was a strong fourth with 81.3 and three-time state champion Bloomingdale was fifth (79.4).

In 2A’s Co-Ed Small Division on Saturday, Sickles earned a state runners-up trophy of its own with 78.2 points, 4.7 points off the champions, Fort Walton Beach. Strawberry Crest was fifth with 74.2.

In the 2A Varsity Small Division, Wharton earned third place with a score of 66.4, just five tenths of a point behind runner-up Oviedo.