BELLEVILLE, NJ -- The Belleville High School cheerleading team won the Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division championship at the 17th annual Karen Centinaro Memorial Cheer for the Cure competition at Foley Field in Bloomfield on Tuesday night, Oct. 8.

Belleville head cheerleading coach Erin Lewis was elated for her team.

"The team worked so hard and overcame a lot of injuries and setbacks to get to where they are today," she said. "Over the summer, they travel to Pa. for an overnight cheer camp and begin competing before their season even begins. Their level of drive and determination really shows in their performances. With an injury last week, the girls were told to hold off on performing their skills for that group. But they told me, 'No, we are going to hit this stunt, regardless of being down an athlete,' and they did last night with ease!

"Belleville cheer program has been growing bigger and stronger over the years," Lewis continued. "These past few years, the team has been lucky enough to grow a JV program that really enhances the opportunities and skills on the varsity level. I recently added an extremely knowledgeable JV coach, Nick Salvatoriello, who has taken JV to another level, and the skills bleed into the varsity team. Our new recreation cheer director, Kenya Pringle, and coach Maria DelValle, have created a strong bond between the high school and our rec program. All of these new relationships/bridges have really allowed the varsity cheer program to flourish."

Here is the BHS cheerleading roster:

The competition, which featured high school cheerleading teams from the Super Essex Conference, is a charity fundraiser with proceeds going to cancer research and help for those in need of food assistance. The event was officially renamed last year in honor of Centinaro, the longtime BHS athletics department administrative assistant who lost her battle to cancer in 2023 at the age of 64. Over the years, Centinaro supervised the event, which has raised more than $80,000 since its inception.