Athlete and coach honored in West Hempstead

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On April 17, the West Hempstead School District Board of Education, along with Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss and visitors, congratulated a special athlete and coach who were recently honored for their accomplishments.

West Hempstead High School sophomore Alexa Virgo was recently recognized as one of the top cheerleaders on Long Island, while her coach, Christa Spano, was named the Nassau County Cheerleading Coach of the Year.

Virgo is a second-year varsity member of the girls cheerleading team. She previously cheered for a PAL league, the Uniondale Knights, before she became a high school cheerleader. Virgo is also an exceptional gymnast, and she was part of the Rockville Centre Rec Gymnastics team for four years, where she developed Level 10 skills. She is known by her high school teammates and coach for her phenomenal jumps and tumbling ability.

“This is quite the accomplishment, especially at her young age,” said Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss. “We look forward to more accomplishments from Alexa and we certainly congratulate her on this accomplishment.”

Spano was bestowed with her award due to her hard work and dedication within the sport. She is an active participant on the Nassau County Cheerleading Coaches Association board, and she’s one of the planners for the Nassau County Cheerleading Awards Dinner. Spano has coached in Nassau County for 10 years, starting as a middle school coach before moving to junior varsity head coach, varsity assistant coach and ultimately, varsity head coach. The program has been taken to new heights under her and Ashleigh Longo’s leadership, as this year, for the first time in West Hempstead School District history, the varsity team competed in the National High School Cheerleading Championships, where the program is ranked in the top 50 percent of their division.

“One of the things our district wants to thank you for is bringing our girls, for the first time, to a national competition, which is not only special in their ability to qualify for it, but it’s an event I’m sure they, and you, will never forget,” Sullivan-Kriss said to Spano. “Thank you for helping to create memories for our students.”