Canton, NY – SUNY Canton announced today the college is adding varsity cheerleading to its athletic offerings and has hired well-known coach Joey Boswell to lead the program. In addition to cheering at various Roos home games, the team will also participate in various intercollegiate competitions.
 
"We have numerous current and prospective students extremely excited about participating in varsity cheerleading," said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. "Similar to our most recent addition of esports, we are responding to the overwhelming interest expressed by students to compete and represent SUNY Canton at the varsity level."   
 
Cheerleading becomes SUNY Canton's second co-ed sports offering along with esports. The College also features 15 NCAA sports teams.
 
"Cheerleading will provide more students with enhanced opportunities for competitive excellence, academic achievement, school pride, leadership opportunities and commitment to community and service," said Vice President of Student Affairs Courtney B. Bish. "Membership on a varsity collegiate sports team is an extremely rewarding experience, so being able to expand those opportunities and provide students with a new level of connection makes this a fantastic addition to our college."
 
Roos Hire Cheerleading Coach Joey Boswell
 
Well-known coach Joey Boswell has been tabbed to start the new SUNY Canton cheerleading program. Coach Boswell is a New York State (NYS) certified cheerleading judge and coach with years of experience with high school and collegiate cheerleaders in St. Lawrence County, Jefferson County, and the Syracuse region. 
 
"We're very fortunate to have a high-caliber, experienced coach like Joey to start our program," said Athletic Director Randy B. Sieminski. "He has a proven track record of success and is well known throughout the North Country for his ability to teach and engage students." 
 
Boswell has taught dance, tumbling and cheer in Massena, Watertown and Potsdam the past couple of years. He was also the assistant cheerleading coach at his alma mater SUNY Potsdam from 2014 to 2017. Boswell served in the United States Army from 2010 to 2013 as a Chemical, Biological, Radiologic, and Nuclear Specialist. He is currently employed by the Seaway Valley Prevention Council as a Reality Check Coordinator. He has been a Section X cheerleading judge for several years.
 
Students at SUNY Canton have already begun practicing for next year. Tryouts for next year's team will be held in the fall.
 
"I'm extremely excited and honored to be a part of the SUNY Canton Athletic department as the head varsity cheerleading coach," Boswell said. "We have so many talented high school cheerleaders not only here in the North Country, but across New York State. I cannot wait to help create a varsity cheer team here in the North Country. The Roo cheerleaders will be cheering at multiple sporting events throughout the fall and spring seasons and will be training to compete at competitions in New Jersey and the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida."
SUNY Canton is one of just a handful of NCAA Division III schools in the area that offers varsity cheerleading.
 
Current and prospective students who are interested in learning more about joining SUNY Canton's cheerleading program should contact Boswell (boswellj@canton.edu, 210-776-5339.)
   

About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 16 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college's 15 athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. For more information, visit www.canton.edu.