Lindenhurst cheers through losses, on and off the mat

To many "Don’t Stop Believin" by Journey may be just a rock anthem, but to the Lindenhurst varsity cheer team those are powerful words to live and cheer by.

Anne Wishniak or "Coach Wish" as she is affectionately called by the team, was an assistant coach for Lindenhurst who brought the phrase to the forefront, as she fought and overcame two bouts with cancer, before her death in October of 2021.

Wishniak coached cheer at Lindenhurst for 36 years.

"She was my right hand, it just seemed like we were always together," Lindenhurst coach Michelle Corcoran said. "She was just my best friend."

Corcoran got her start with Lindenhurst in 1985 as a coach and teacher, as did Wishniak. They grew close and did their best work leading on the cheer team. Wishniak referred to "Don’t Stop Believin" as her motivation during her first bout with cancer, the team has gained strength through those words no matter what adversity they face.

"At every competition, before warmups, I would write the word ‘BELIEVE’ on everyone’s right sneaker," Corcoran said. "That was their motivation and I still do it to this day."

A season ago the pandemic shifted the way cheer competitions took place, as it did for just about everything else. Teams were pushed into empty gyms where they recorded routines and sent them in to be judged.

"We had to record in an empty gym, it was pretty depressing at times," Isis Fredericks said. "It wasn’t as fun as it used to be, but we still kept pushing through."

Fredericks is the lone senior on a Lindenhurst squad that deploys a relatively inexperienced squad, featuring just five returning members of their varsity team from a year ago. This has forced what Corcoran refers to as the "Original 5" to step into a leadership role where they help bring along the newcomers and create a sense of camaraderie amongst the team. Those five are Fredericks, juniors Olivia Colon, Kaylee Herig, Kayleigh Pritchard, and Brooklyn Walter.

"I know being younger and being on the varsity cheer team can be stressful," Fredericks said. "I just try to make the younger girls feel as comfortable as I possibly can."

The Bulldogs with so many new faces to bring along were struck by the pandemic again this season as each member of the team has spent time in quarantine. They found themselves unable to compete in Suffolk county’s first competition of the season due to 10 team members in quarantine.

This season the team has just 13 members, where normally they would have anywhere from 16 to 22 on the mat. This has made the loss of even one member to quarantine at a time even more damaging.

"When people are out it hurts us tremendously," Colon said. "With 13 girls we have just three stunt groups, when one girl is out, that’s pretty much a whole stunt group down."

The continuation of the pandemic has also shifted the goal for this season. The team will not be competing for a bid at nationals as the school district felt the safer option would be to forgo the opportunity. Where in the past Corcoran’s focus has been getting her team to nationals, this season her focus is on helping her team be the best they can and just having fun.

"I was nervous about trying to make it to Florida (nationals), but that decision has taken a lot of stress away," Corcoran said. "Now I’ve eased up a little, it’s just about getting the girls on the mat and trying to help them have fun."

The team was able to compete in the two ensuing competitions after missing the first. In their first on December 18th, they played "Don’t Stop Believin" to get into their zone. "Coach Wish" who both Colon and Fredericks described as "selfless", remains just as big a part of the team as ever before.

"Wish meant a lot to our team, she was a ray of sunshine who loved the sport of cheerleading and loved helping people," Colon said. "She was a great coach who always pushed us to do our best and to always believe."