Bay Ridge

Fontbonne students hear cheers at Citrus Bowl

January 25, 2023 Jaime DeJesus
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Two Bay Ridge cheerleading stars performed on one of college football’s biggest stages Jan. 2.

Fontbonne students Ava Berardelli and Gianna Felicia cheered with the Varsity Spirit Trophy Winners and All-Americans during a pre-game show at the NCAA Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., where the LSU Tigers beat the Purdue Boilermakers.

Over the summer, the two were named All-American Cheerleaders at a Universal Cheerleaders Association camp. This allowed them to join the Varsity Spirit team and perform at the game in Camping World Stadium.

Varsity Spirit is the Memphis-based leader in cheerleading and dance uniforms, camps and competitions.

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This was the second straight year Berardelli, a senior, cheered at the game.

“It was such a fun time representing Fontbonne, and I am very grateful to my coach, who encourages me to be the best I can be,” she said. “Those few days will forever be a reminder of how special it is to be selected for such an incredible event, and that hard work really does pay off.”

Felicia, a junior, said performing at the game was “beyond words a special experience that I will remember forever.”

“When my name was announced as an official All-American Cheerleader this summer, I was beyond honored, I was grateful,” she said. “Grateful that all my hard work paid off and that I had the opportunity to showcase that at the Citrus Bowl.”


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