Waltham Highs 2023 Back-to-Back State Champions

On Sunday, November 1, 2022, fifteen remarkable Waltham High School cheerleaders competed at Worcester State University in a large coed division, going up against 10 teams. After rigorous training and a strenuous season, they stepped out onto the mat with their heads held high and their confidence booming. Despite the fact that their routine was far more difficult and physically demanding than the previous year’s, they made sure to put their worries aside once they stepped onto the mat and gave it their all in the moment.

 Unfortunately, there were a few tumbling busts and two stunt falls during the routine. Even though it was not their most successful performance in comparison to previous competitions, they persisted and gave it their all. After leaving the mat, they were utterly disappointed in themselves, but tried to stay open-minded about the possibility of winning. 

“The week of states was stressful since we didn’t have many practices because of conflicts, so we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, which put a lot of pressure on our team. We went on in the afternoon after getting ready as a team in the morning, and when we got to the competition, the anxiety kicked in. Haverhill competed before us, so we saw a little of their routine, and they hit all of their stunts, which made us anxious. We did our stunts during warm-ups, and they all hit, but when we performed, we didn’t hit our routine, so everyone was frustrated and disappointed. Many people expected us to lose, and many others were upset, which lowered our team’s confidence in winning,” said Gianna Morpea, a main base on the cheer team.

They were all tremendously dejected, and because their sense of accomplishment depended on winning states, their expectations were strained. After their routine, many of the Waltham cheerleaders felt inadequate. Considering how hard they had worked all season, their standings in the state championship would be impacted by something they had practiced countless times before.

“As soon as I hit my ending pose at the end of the routine, I felt thrilled to be back on the mat doing what we do best. I gotta say, coming into this competition, I felt nervous considering the possibility that we had to be back-to-back champions,” said WHS junior cheerleader John Mendoza. 

“After we competed and didn’t perform our best, I ran up to one of the alumni I had competed with the previous year. It was a bittersweet moment since we had won last year, and now we didn’t even know what the outcome would be because we were neck and neck with Haverhill. It was just super scary,” said WHS sophomore flier Sabrina Siciliano. 

During the awards ceremony, the WHS cheerleaders sat in a circle, hands clasped and feet crossed for good luck. The tension in the room grew as the announcer proceeded through their category and into the last two places. As the speaker prepared to reveal the second-place winner, everyone held their breath. To everyone’s surprise, Haverhill came in second, which meant that the Waltham High cheerleaders had done it again. They had secured the first-place spot and were once again state champions. When the announcer announced that Waltham had won first place, they jumped up and embraced one another, as did the Hawks fans, who were also feeling cheerful after such a win.

“I was so happy when the judges announced Haverhill’s second as I wasn’t expecting it. It wasn’t our best, but we made it out for what it was. The energy was insanely high, with both the team and our fans stunned by the outcome,” said WHS cheer team captain Jordan Kelley.

“Despite the difficulties we have encountered throughout the season, I believe this team to be the most resilient cheer team I’ve been on for overcoming those obstacles and coming out on top,” said Mendoza. 

Winning back-to-back state championships wasn’t only special for the seniors and the returning varsity cheerleaders, but also for Bella Massa and Jenna Carlson, who shared a special moment celebrating their first win on varsity.

“I think it feels really cool because it’s my first time ever competing, and I’ve gotten so much closer with everyone on the team, and I can’t wait to make more memories,” said Massa.

When asked how it felt to win states for the first time, Carlson shared, “It is the best feeling ever. I am so excited and super happy for my team.”

“The season in particular has taught me so much and reminded me how much I love this team. While winning states for the second year in a row was incredible, the real victory for me that year was being able to come together as a family and realizing that we could get through anything that was put in our way. I never thought I would end my cheerleading career as back-to-back state champions, and I will have that for the rest of my life,” said Alexa Blanchard, a senior captain on the cheer team said.