From the being at the top of the pyramid to flipping in the air, members of a cheer team know the definition of hanging in suspension—yet sometimes the moment when it is most significant is when motion is utterly still.
“My favorite memory of the competitive season so far is, during awards, being the last team name, the whole team is sitting in a circle just waiting and knowing that you did all you could and you’re about to hear your name called last, and secure that win first place spot,” junior Brielle Kotrba said.
Brighton High School’s varsity competition cheer team certainly didn’t have a shortage of these moments. The team had one of their most successful seasons in recent years, earning a new team record and winning the KLAA West Championship.
“The significance of winning the K West is that we get to prove to the other teams… who we are and show our skill, and the significance of beating… the past school record is that we get to prove to ourselves that we can be better than we have in years past,” junior Ellie-Rose Knight said.
The high scores at competitions allowed the varsity cheer team to advance to the Division 1 MHSAA state finals and bring home a fourth-place score of 788.58.
Junior varsity competition cheer also experienced success this season. JV competition cheer was able to bring home a win against their major rival, Rochester High School, according to sophomore Reagan Buddie. For some on the team, this event was a favorite part of the season and marked a major success for the team overall.
The JV team was also able to make many memories and create many team bonding skills throughout this season. Team work and determination make for a strong team that bonded well together.
“It was just all the team bonding that we had from the sideline going into our cheer season and the bond that our team made throughout the season had everyone [getting] along, and we all made good memories of the team bondings that we did, and the memories of winning most cheer comps,” freshman Eva Trupiano said.
The team’s willingness to improve and work towards a common goal makes for a strong team that was able to come out on top. Working towards greatness and a common goal gave athletes skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
“I’ve noticed that the team has been improving a lot faster, and there’s no, like, peak on our team, and we seem to be improving more and more every week, each competition, we get better and better, and we just keep on increasing,” Knight said.
