Jerry ZurekMidnight Madness is just around the corner and is adding a new hype to Cabrini’s atmosphere. It is one of the biggest functions of the year where men and women’s basketball, cheerleading and the dance teams have already started practicing for the big event.
Matthew Macciocca, the men’s head basketball coach, says that he is excited for the upcoming season kick-off at Midnight Madness. Macciocca who has coached at De Sales and Wake Forest Universities, was the assistant coach at the United State Merchant Marine Academy for four years prior to coming to Cabrini.
“I want the students to come and see and be apart of the basketball family. I believe that the student body is very important and I want the students to try and come to every game.”
The men’s basketball team had their first practice Friday, Oct. 14 at midnight. The practice went on until about 2 a.m., which really got the guys in gear for the season to come.
This year, Midnight Madness will have more contests, great food and more prizes to be given out. Also, the faculty, men’s and women’s games will be significantly shorter than last year in order to add more activities for students to participate in.
The women’s basketball team is also looking forward to the Midnight Madness events to come.
Head coach Bobbi Morgan is entering her 19th season as a head coach and anticipates the season with the women’s basketball team. Morgan and the assistant coaches, Fran Burbidge, Kate Pierangeli and Caroline Tarves are all ready to see what the girls can do.
The team has four starters returning from last season, two of which have made a big impact on the team. Sophomore sociology/criminal justice major, Sam Hartling received the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year award last year and Sharae Middlebrook, a sophomore English and communication major, received an honorable mention All-PAC last season.
Captains Jackie Yoder and Jen Skursky are also back with a vengeance to help piece together the new team.
“There will intense competition for playing time this year,” Morgan said.
The Cabrini cheerleaders have been practicing six times a week in order to get ready for Midnight Madness. The squad has been dedicated and summer through fall, they have toned their tumbling skills by going to gymnastics.
Sophomore biology major, Nicole Meyers is one of the three captains and says that the squad is looking really good. Meyers is excited for Midnight Madness to come so they can show off their new routines.
“Well I don’t want to jinx us, but we look really good this year and expect a very positive reaction from people this year. We have been working really hard to try new stunts and bring new aspects of cheerleading into the routines,” Meyers said.
Meyers also said the cheerleading squad will be selling megaphones at Madness this year so the crowd can be extra loud.
The other two captains of the squad, sophomore American studies/Spanish major, Meg Eller and sophomore elementary education and early childhood major, Elana Kousisis as well as Meyers have noticed some new freshman additions to the squad that have stood out.
Freshman elementary education major, Melissa Barrett, freshmen business administration/Spanish major, Lizzie Kerrigan, freshman English and communication/ educational studies major, Jillian Smith and freshman business administration major Derrick Horn have all had a big and positive impact on the squad.
“We hope more people come to the basketball games this year and help us cheer on the guys too,” Meyers said.
Junior finance major, Christine McLaughlin and senior elementary education/early childhood education major, Kimberly Larentowicz, are captains of the Cabrini dance team. They have been on the team for three years and both are ecstatic about the dance team’s new routine that will be unveiled at Midnight Madness.
“We’re very proud of our team because they are very dedicated and the new and returning members have really meshed well together; everyone has been coming to practices and has been working very hard,” Larentowicz said.
“Everyone has been very respectful towards us being that we are new captains this year and we’re just really excited about it,” McLaughlin added.
The 25 girl team started practices the second week in September and they will present a new routine with different choreography at Midnight Madness.
“I want this place to have the kind of atmosphere and aura where opposing teams are afraid to come in here and when they do they aren’t mentally prepared because our student body will be all over them,” Macciocca said.
Posted to the web by Brian Coary.
