1) The 2022 Norwich Cyclones B-team cheerleaders & 2) The 2022 Norwich Cyclones A-team cheerleaders (Photos from Norwich Cyclones Cheer)

NORWICH – The Norwich Cyclones A and B-team cheerleaders will be competing this Saturday in Vestal before preparing for another competition in Johnson City on November 5.

This is the first year that the program will be attending a competition since its departure from the Pop Warner league. A league the Cyclones reigned for over 40 years.

The Cyclones cheer and football programs have been members of the Southern Tier Youth Football League since 2020. With the new league, there were also changes made to grade levels.

The B-team features athletes in third and fourth grade while the A-team is made up of fifth and sixth graders. The flag football program is for the first and second graders.

With these significant changes, participation is still active.

“Our numbers of athletes have increased this year and we hope to continue to grow our program and keep these kids cheering into high school,” Cheer Coach Danielle Nolan said.

While there is modified football throughout middle school, the cheer program is without a squad in between Cyclones and Varsity cheerleading. Something that could change in the future if participation continues to grow and if initiative is made to start a new program.

Good luck to the Cyclones cheerleaders as well as the flag football and A-team who host the semi-finals this Sunday at Ulrich Field.