The Barrington Pop Warner Midgets Cheerleading team won first place in its division at the regional championship last weekend and earned an invitation to compete at the Pop Warner Cheer Nationals in Florida next month.

"We are so excited and so proud of the girls," wrote coach Kayla Testa. "They have worked so incredibly hard and deserve every bit of it."

The local girls had a strong regular season and performed very well at States. The first place finish at States was duplicated when the Barrington cheerleaders took to the stage at Regionals.

Team members are Haley Testa, Willow Egan, Tessa Sullivan, Kerryn Moran, Mackenzie Stephens, Sarah Hughes, Jacqueline O'Hayer, Ashleigh Shuman, Maeve McQueary, Ainsley Gasbarro, Jenna Scarella, Ava McConnell, Ariel Medeiros, Chloe Motte, Charlotte Ivory, Grace Warila, Bryn MacGillivray, Catey Warren, Grace Lardner, Erin Jackson, Anna Coogan and Sammy Alexander.

The team is planning a series of fund-raisers to help off-set the costs associated with traveling to the national competition in Florida.

More great performances

The Barrington Pop Warner Pee Wee Cheerleaders also competed at the Regionals, battling against seven other talented squads from across New England. The local girls put on a great performance, but came up just short of an invitation to Nationals.

"Although, they did not receive an invitation to Nationals at the ESPN Center in Disney, they were awesome on Saturday and did receive their highest score of the season for their performance and we are very proud of them," wrote Pee Wee coach Susan Moran.

The combined Tiny Mite/Mighty Mite cheerleading team from Barrington Pop Warner performed well at the regionals also. It is a non-competitive level for the younger cheerleaders — "It was quite an honor for them to be part of this and a first time for BPW to have a younger team exhibit at Regionals," wrote Ms. Moran. "We are proud of them, they did a great job, and had fun."