Team members of the Competitive Cheer team explain their moment of success and the determination that led to their earned title.

By: Ariana Lopez

On Saturday, January 18th, The Competitive Cheer team headed out to Buchanan Highschool coming back home as Champions. Taking first place in CIF Central Section Division 3. Scoring with an amazing score of 91 out of 100 points.

Redwood Varsity Cheer CIF Central Section Championships. Ayla
Morgan, ’25 (Middle) Photo N.Miller/Gigantea

Ayla Morgan, ’25 a senior on the team describes her experience as one of the most rewarding of her cheer career. “it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in cheer,” she says.

Behind the scenes, the support of their coaches and advisors made all the difference in the team’s journey. “Our coach is the best, she always makes time for us to practice, and our advisor is amazing as well. They really go out of their way to make sure we have everything we need to succeed.”

“I think that the biggest thing that paid off for us was that everyone was really confident in the routine and Choreo” she says.

Preparation was also key to their success, the team was no stranger to putting in the work. “We started practicing in October,” Morgan recalls. “We had tons of practices, and we even practiced after basketball games, We put in a lot of extra time just to make sure that we were ready.”

Reagan Keeter, ’25 holding her teams CIF Central
D3 plaque. Photo Courtesy of Keeter

Reagan Keeter, ’25 says “The experience was one I am so grateful for. After 4 years of attending this competition all of our hard work and growth as a team had paid off.”

Keeter says “We got new coaches last year, Michael and Myronne, so this is our second season with them and we are on our third year with our advisor Yvette Wright. we are so extremely grateful for these coaches and we did our best to grow with them throughout those transitional periods. when we won, we not only felt accomplished for ourselves but also the progress we had made with our coaches by our side.”

As for their choreography, Keeter says “We had a choreographer come in and teach our routine one weekend. After the choreographer gives us the routine, we add some stuff and make it our own.”

“We prepared by putting in all of our extra time aside from basketball games, to practice and perfect our routine, fixing the judges comments from our last competition, and make sure our energy was constantly improving” Keeter says.

That sense of readiness and camaraderie was key. The competition was more than just an event, it was the culmination of months of hard work and countless hours of rehearsals.

Redwood Varsity Cheer CIF Central Section
Championships. Sienna Minasola (left)
Photo N.Miller/Gigantea

Sienna Minasola, ’25 another Senior on the team, recalls, “It was a lot of practice going into it. We were all really excited beforehand, and it really helped us come together as a team. We were really prepared to go onto the mat and perform.”

When announced as the winner Minasola says “We were so happy, It was honestly like everything we’d worked for paid off.”

But what does it take to earn a spot on a competitive cheer team?

For Minasola, it started with a tryout to make the varsity team, followed by continuous evaluation throughout the season. “You have to be on varsity, and then from there, you’re judged on your performance throughout practices and the football season,” she explains.

Morgan adds on by saying “It’s just another tryout but it’s a huge honor to make it.”

As for what makes a winning routine, both Morgan and Minasola say that it’s about balancing all the key elements. “We needed a jump section, a stunt section, a dance section, a tumbling section and a cheer section. Each section had to score high to win,” Morgan says. “Maxing out our score in every section really helped us. We worked on it every day at practice, making sure we were prepared for each element.”

As for the competition itself, the team had to meet strict criteria to secure the win. Points were awarded based on technique, stunts, and tumbling, with a perfect score of 100 possible. “You need a certain number of tumbling passes and a certain level of stunt difficulty. Everything had to come together perfectly,” Minasola explains.

Minasola says, “It was all about supporting each other and sharing that moment of success.”

Assistant Coach Michael Avila (Left), Head Coach
Myronee Diaz (Middle) and Advisor Yvette Wright

Behind every great team is a coach who knows how to guide and motivate. For the team, their coach played an instrumental role in preparing them both mentally and physically.

Minasola says, “They really prepared us. They gave us corrections, told us what we could improve, and always stayed positive,” Sienna says. “We would perform in front of each other, and give each other corrections, and the coach was always there to support us.

They sent us texts before competitions, reminding us that we could do it.” That constant encouragement made all the difference.

Myronee Diaz, the Team’s Head Coach, says “They realized that they were on the verge of something bigger, and stopped up their game after taking second at USA Nationals.”

Diaz says that the team’s “mental strength and unity, staying focused on leaving it all on the mat, set them apart.”

The championship was more than just a title, it was the result of months of practice, determination, and the strength of a team that had learned to push, inspire, and believe in each other.

To Diaz, her meaning of the win meant “everything” for her.

She says “It’s a moment I’ll cherish forever, to guide these kids and see their monumental success.”

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Ariana Lopez
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Ariana Lopez-Salguero, '27, is an avid participant in cross country at Redwood High School. With a passion for sports and entertainment, Ariana aspires to write and share stories, aiming to increase awareness and understanding of individuals on the triumphs of fellow Ranger athletes.

 

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