Get to Know Trinity Valley Community College Cheerleader Gianni Comi

Name: Gianni Comi

Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania

High School: McDowell Senior High School

Sport: Cheerleading

Position: Base

High School Accolades: Four-year letter winner, three-time PIAA champion with the McDowell Trojans, and high school national champion.

What McDowell Cheer Means to Him: “McDowell Cheer means the world to me, it’s such an amazing program to build a great foundation in cheer. I love coming home and watching all of them grow. I would not be where I am today without Deena Pribonic, the head coach, I had a rough childhood growing up and she took a chance with me and now I’m flying in my career. McDowell cheer is a family, and a legacy of amazing people that I’m so thankful to got to be a part of.”

Current Program: Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC). The public institution is located in Athens, Texas and is home to over 5,400 students. The school is known as a cheerleading powerhouse and was featured on the Netflix show Cheer. The Cardinals produce some of the most decorated cheerleaders in the world and have 16 national championships. In 2023, the program was crowned grand champions, meaning they were the highest scorers of any team, which included teams competing above the collegiate level.

Why He Chose TVCC: “I wanted to get the most out of my cheer career because my end all be all is to compete for Team USA. I chose Trinity Valley because they produce the most decorated cheerleaders. TVCC is one of the best schools in the nation for cheerleading and I’m just completely blessed God has given me the opportunity to attend this school and grow as an athlete and as a person.

Previous Program: Lindenwood University

Major and Future Plans: Exercise science with a minor in business and to own his own wellness centers.

College Accolades: Two-time national qualifier with Lindenwood cheerleading and a national championship with the program in his freshman year.

Unexpected Road Cheerleading Has Taken Him On: “When I started cheerleading over six years ago in my freshman year of high school, I had no clue about the sport and I was very behind compared to a lot of other athletes. I was constantly in the gym both working on my fitness and my cheerleading abilities perfecting everything that I do. I studied techniques and learned of other great athletes in the cheerleading world because I wanted to be great like them. I’ve improved a lot over time, but  still have a lot of learning to do and I’m ready to grow and continue competing at the highest level.”

His Support System: “My biggest supporters in my career have been my family and coaches. Although they all dislike that I’m so far from home, they know I’m turning my dreams into a reality and that’s all that matters. My friends have played a huge role in supporting me as well as they always came to games and competitions just to watch me and other athletes that were on the team. Some of my biggest role models have become some of my closest friends today through cheer. They have helped me with technique, learning new skills, and being more consistent in the ways needed to be successful.”