photo courtesy Phototyme Portraits, Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills

AK Varsity cheerleaders can show up anywhere, not just their high school.

For example, Springdale's cheerleaders help build pride in the Allegheny Valley School District by holding district-wide instructional clinics and pep assemblies.

The Dynamos augment that process by folding in a bit of the familiar past.

Coach Carly Simmen

Coach Carly Simmen, who cheered at Springdale, explains, "We enjoy incorporating old traditions we did in high school with new material the girls learn during cheerleading camp. It's fun to watch the squad perform dances and cheers I did 10 years ago. The girls enjoy learning traditional material, and get a kick out of some of the more "outdated" material as well."

Springdale cheerleaders are made up of seniors Jen Douglas (Captain), Nikki Mendicino (Captain), Kerry Yurchick, Julie Gasparich, Aleasha Groothoff, Jessica Huss; juniors Tiffani Kaczor, Jamie Gehry, Kara Blazonczyk, Christy Ansell; sophomores Crista Howenstein, Katya Moore, Katie Sanford, Nicole Swanson, Kaitlin Kaminski, Melissa Kubiak, and Rachel Vidra.

Simmen describes Dynamo cheerleading in the video interview at http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1525