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03/16/2017 12:00 AMJordyn Aurora has experienced tremendous success with the North Haven cheerleading team during the past four years and her current senior season is certainly following that trend.
After competing in the All-Girl Division in previous years, Jordyn and company joined the co-ed ranks for the 2016-’17 campaign. The Indians claimed their first co-ed title in program history at the SCC Championship and then placed third in the Co-ed State Championship. Along the way, Jordyn took home All-SCC and All-State honors on the heels of a junior season that saw her earn All-State and All-American accolades.
“I never thought it would be possible for me to get any of these awards because, as a freshman, I wasn’t really outgoing. Cheerleading has helped me come out of my shell and become a leader and receiving these awards has boosted my confidence so much,” says Jordyn. “For All-SCC, I couldn’t have done it without my team. I couldn’t have done it without the girls and the coaches who gave so much time to make us all look good.”
As a result of entering the Co-ed Division, North Haven needed to learn new routines that featured more demanding stunts. However, that wasn’t the biggest challenge for Jordyn. As a senior captain, Jordyn knew that she’d be relied upon to provide a steadying presence for the Indians.
“I’ve been on varsity since freshman year and I knew what would be expected of the athletes,” says Jordyn. “The hardest thing for me was trying to keep the team together and focused and not getting on each other too much when things were tough.”
Of course, things tend to get tough quite frequently whenever a cheerleading team is trying to master a new routine. Jordyn says that North Haven had some trouble finding its footing at practice early on, but adds that the Indians started jelling when it came time to compete.
“When we first started learning our routine, it was the toughest routine we ever did,” Jordyn says. “It wasn’t until we went to the first competition that we started to come together as a team, but overall, we did really good being our first year in co-ed.”
Nobody knows that better than North Haven cheerleading Head Coach Kathleen Crisafi, who feels pleased with how Jordyn leads the Indians by displaying great poise on the floor.
“Jordyn’s a unique athlete and she’s very level-headed for someone her age. She’s a hard worker and a great leader and she maintains an overall calmness,” Crisafi says. “She’s a great role model for the other kids—not just her work ethic, but how she handles things. She’s taught the kids a great lesson on how to take things in stride and that it’s not productive to get too emotional.”
Jordyn will bring that same disposition to the field when she plays lacrosse for North Haven this spring. As much as she loves cheerleading, it will be a treat for Jordyn to get out of the gym and into the sunshine.
“I find the transition from cheerleading to lacrosse enjoyable because you get outside just as the weather is getting nice,” says Jordyn. “It’s not so intense, even though I like that about cheerleading. We’ve recently gotten a lot better at lacrosse, though, so the intensity is picking up.”
The Indians went 13-3 en route to making the Class M State Tournament last year. Head Coach Lois Frankforter says that Jordyn’s progression has played a big part in North Haven’s success, and she’s expecting another solid season from Jordyn as a senior.
“We’re looking for her to be a solid midfielder, primarily on defense, but she can also come over on attack,” Frankforter says. “She’s matured into a really strong player and leader on and off the field.”
Assistant coach Bernie Pellegrino echoes Frankforter’s sentiments, saying that Jordyn is a “leader through and through.” The Indians are facing a tougher slate of opponents during the upcoming campaign and so Jordyn plans on using her calm, cool, and collected demeanor to help North Haven navigate the difficult schedule.
Before the lacrosse seasons begins next month, Jordyn and the Indians will compete at the New England Cheerleading Championship in Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday, March 18. It’s a different type of meet than Jordyn and company are accustomed to as it features teams from other states that perform routines which don’t adhere to the same rules and guidelines as in Connecticut. Consequently, North Haven gets a chance to perform one more time this year without the pressure that typically accompanies a postseason meet.
“I’m not saying it’s impossible for us to win, but we don’t go in there expecting to take first place,” says Jordyn.
Jordyn plans on attending college to major in nursing after she graduates from North Haven. Although this year marks the end of Jordyn’s athletic career, she knows that she will walk out of the high school holding no regrets.
“High school flew by,” Jordyn says “It’s going to be hard to say good-bye and let go of cheerleading and sports in general, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”