For Old Rochester Regional High School girls varsity cheerleaders it’s time to take on the “big dogs.”

On February 18, the girls placed first in their division in the Southeast League Competition and finished fourth overall for the day, securing a spot in the Regional Competition on March 4 at Dartmouth High School.

While they prepare for some tough competition, head coach Patricia McArdle says that the team’s latest win has already proven they can give their competitors a run for their money.

“This is huge for us,” she said. “We haven’t placed in a long time.”

For McArdle, it was an easy transition to take over from last year’s head coach Lynn Monger, as Monger had already built up a strong team she said.

“The goals [Monger] would set for the girls, I took the lead from her,” McArdle said. “I just upped the ante but the structure was already there. She had a real positive influence and built it up so that it was something you wanted to participate in.”

Now, McArdle is preparing the girls for Regionals and getting the girls into fighting shape.

“When we get to Regionals we’re going to be up against the really tough ‘big dogs’,” McArdle said. “We need to be a little more competitive in stunts, work one-legged stunts and practice some new tricks to add a little pizzazz.”

To do this, McArdle has increased the girls’ practices from two days a week to five days.

This, she says, is how varsity athletes should train.

“At first I was a little nervous,” she said. “But they’ve stepped right up to the plate. They keep coming back with a really great attitude. This is a sport and if it’s going to be a varsity sport, you have to practice like it’s a varsity sport.”

The team has been practicing stunts, dances, pyramids and tumbles everyday after school, which the girls said has greatly improved their performance.

Old Rochester Regional junior Taylor Fien says the team is having their best year yet thanks to McArdle’s leadership.

“This is the first season we’ve had practices every day and we’ve changed dramatically,” Fien said. “[McArdle] calls it ‘conditioning.’ We run around the school and up the stairs everyday to get in shape.”

If the girls places in the top three on Sunday during the Regional Competition, the team will move on to the State Championship.

Whether they win or not, McArdle said she is thrilled with how committed the girls have been to the team.

“I love cheerleading,” McArdle said. “It is a sport and I’ll fight anyone who says it’s not. You have the dance portion combined with strength to lift people and do gymnastics. The girls find out how strong they really are.”