Buffalo Jills and Bandettes Pictures of The Week

This will be the final edition of the Pictures of The Week for the 2008 offseason as we start up the Jill of The Week feature next week with pictures and info of the 48 members of the 2008-09 Buffalo Jills. This week's Jills photo comes direct from Jills Director Stephanie M and features the women who guide the Jills through their training, their responsibilities, and on gamedays.
On the left, we have the Jills choreographer Kelli Wagner. Kelli took her current job with the Jills in 2002 and does more than turn heads at the Ralph on gamedays. She has successfully grown the Junior Jills organization into a coveted program for youth in Western New York and it’s surrounding areas. Kelli’s choreography has also been featured on Fox TV, ABC-Buffalo, several Buffalo radio station events, many community events, overseas military shows, as well as HSBC Arena-Buffalo. Kelli is the three time recipient of America’s Young Choreographer of the Year and has received numerous choreography and high score awards. In the middle is Jills Director Stephanie Mateczun and Steph spent a number of years on the sideline herself before taking the reins as Jills Director in 2002. Since then, the Jills have added on the Ambassador Squad, gotten more national positive recognition, many more appearance requests, and the Jills Swimsuit Calendar now includes every member of the squad. Other squads, even with their smaller numbers, only include a part of the squad on their calendars. Nichole Becker, on the right, is in her 3rd season as the coordinator after cheering through the 2000-2005 seasons, along with rookie squadmates Omarlla and Eileen. It was a new position created because of all the extra work that goes into the squad the past several years. Nichole was actually already performing some of the duties of coordinator her last few seasons as captain but the increased popularity and exposure of the squad caused the position of coordinator to become a full-time one.

From the Bandettes, we have a pic taken near the end of the 3rd quarter of the first game against the Minnesota Swarm. Incidentally, home games against the Swarm will be fewer and farther between as the NLL recently announced that Minnesota would be moving to the NLL's West Division. But I digress. This picture, taken just before the squad went out on the floor for their 3rd intermission routine, features Bandettes co-captains Melissa and Meghan with rookie Justina smiling for the camera. The smiles may have been from the way the game was going. After falling behind 9-6 at the half, the Bandits poured on 5 goals to none in the 3rd to hold an 11-9 lead at the time this picture was taken.

Continuing our look into the past at the Buffalo Bombshells, we see current Buffalo Bandette Korinne in a pic from the 2002 AFL season.

Buffalo Jills and Bandettes Photos of The Week

This week, our first photo comes from the recent Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament. This one was taken after dinner when raffle prizes were being given out. Shown posing for the camera are 3rd year vet and last year's calendar covergirl Jenica and rookie Alecia. Jenica was one of the "Phantom Angels" who went to Iraq and Kuwait about a year and a half ago while Alecia seems to be a very outgoing girl who, if she puts her mind to it, could end up being a pretty decent golfer.

Our second Jills pic was taken at the Jills Congratulatory Party held this past April at Club Paradise, also the home of the the Jills Swimsuit Calendar Release Party in September. Shown posing for the camera are Katie K, Amelina, and Omarlla. Katie is going into her 4th season on the squad and 2nd as co-captain. Amelina, the shortest member of the squad (a fact that thrills squadmate Angelina...last year's shortest) is an outstanding dancer who loves the attention of the camera, similar to Sarah of the Bandettes. Speaking of photography, Omarlla has been getting photographed for 9 seasons now. This fun-loving teacher is still learning something new with every experience as a Buffalo Jills captain and thankfully has no intention of quitting anytime soon.

This week's Bandettes photo comes from the post-game party at Pearl Street Grill and Brewery following the Bandits Championship win back in May. Going with the theme of girls who love the camera, Korinne has been dazzling us with that smile since 2001, as a Bombshell, a Bandette, a Jill, and now again as a Bandette. Sarah has been a Bandette since 2005 and if there's a game in which she doesn't strike a pose for the camera at least once, you have to think something's up...lol.

Bandette of The Week Korinne

When Korinne left the Jills early in the 2006 season, it came as a shock to pretty much everyone who knows her. Her dazzling smile has been lighting up the sidelines of Buffalo's pro sports teams since 2000. She spent 4 seasons cheering on the Buffalo Destroyers as a member of the Bombshells, 2 + seasons on the Jills, and prior to this season, spent the 2003 season as a Buffalo Bandette. Thankfully, she couldn't stay away for long as she decided to try out to rejoin the Bandettes this past November. Cheering is the one area of her life she's been pretty decisive in as she's a young lady who is still learning about herself, her goals, and her likes. Four different majors in college before graduating with a BA in Communication and a different favorite food virtually every year prove that it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind. One thing she's never changed her mind about is how much she loves performing as she's been dancing since before she could walk. You can read more about Korinne at http://www.bandits.com/bandette-08_korrine.cfm

Bandettes welcome back three former squad members

This year, the Bandettes squad is going to carry 16 girls on their roster. Ten of those girls are returning vets from last year but in actuality, there are 13 vets on the roster. Those other three cheered on the Bandits in previous years and decided to come back for 2008 to cheer the Bandits on to a title. Those 3 vets are Karla, Casey, and Korinne.
Karla was on the Bandettes for 5 seasons so she's hardly a stranger but she also spent 2000-2002 as a member of the Buffalo Jills as well. She's also posted quite frequently on the webgroup giving us the perspective of one of the girls whose work we promote here.
Casey's pro cheerleading remained indoors starting with 2 years on the Bombshells and then 2 with the Bandettes. She was also a member of the short-lived Buffalo Rush squad which cheered on the Buffalo Rapids basketball team. The Rapids are now known as the Silverbacks and play in the ABA at Buffalo State's sports arena.
Korinne is also a 3-sport cheerleader, having spent 4 seasons as a Bombshell, 1 as a Bandette, and 2 1/2 seasons as a Buffalo Jill. A word to the wise, when seeing Korinne for the first time...wear sunglasses as she's always looking to blind people with that smile of hers...lol.
Stay Tuned as a video was shot at tryouts on Sunday and we'll see all the new and returning faces...10 vets, 3 past vets, and 3 rookies.

Buffalo Jill of The Week Korinne

Surprisingly enough, Korinne actually left the Jills squad midseason in 2006 and won't be back in 2007, either. I say surprisingly because she's been flashing the most dazzling smile in pro cheerleading for years and her not being on the sidelines for one of Buffalo's pro squads just doesn't seem normal. Besides 2+ years as a Jill, she also spent a season as a Bandette and 4 as a Buffalo Bombshell. And before all that pro cheerleading she got involved in, she had no cheer experience whatsoever, but many years of dance lessons obviously helped her out as she won the Bombshells best dancer award in 2001 and 2002. Read more about Korinne in the files section of the webgroup (registration required) and you can check FCI's official site http://www.fishercreativeimage.com/Jills/individual.html#korrine where she shows off more than just her smile in a sexy bikini