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FRANKLIN – The fall of 2022 is not commemorated on a banner. But the championships that followed may not exist without that inauspicious autumn.
Franklin High’s cheerleading team recently returned home from Florida with the program’s third national championship in four years. The triumph capped a season of them: league, state and regional titles.
When the team’s four senior captains sat down for a 30-minute interview in the school’s athletic office last week, they each pointed to the beginning of their sophomore year as a turning point. That fall “was kind of crappy,” said Ceci Pineda.
“We didn’t mesh as well,” added Lea Exposito. “Practices were hard and the team didn’t handle it the way we should have. We had very good skills; we just didn’t put them all together. It was mental.”
“You can have all the talent in the world,” Keira Owens said, “but if you don’t have the mental aspect of any sport, it’s really not possible.”
Franklin’s senior class has won seven of a possible eight state championships since they entered the school; four in the winter and three in the fall. The only exception? That fall.
“But even that was a lesson for us, to use it,” Pineda said. “We learned from that. We’re successful because of that.”
The team also includes Kat Rosenberger, Taylor Briggs, Aeriel Orrell, Lilah Wainwright, Emily Bartlett, Cassidy Stanley, Aria Nicholson, Josie Warner and Ashley Rickey.
Injuries have also played a part, especially for Owens. She broke her hand and missed the fall season of her junior year. Plus, bulging discs in her back had her doing physical therapy this season, although she was able to compete and help the Panthers sweep the postseason competitions and win another national championship.
“I’ve looked back on all the injuries and the hard work that I had to put in to get to winning all of those,” she said. “We always say in practice: ‘you can’t say you want to win – you have to work to win.’ That’s something we’ve been led by. Working hard to want to win is what makes winning so much more fun.”
“They made us better as a team – all those injuries – figuring how to work together through the injuries,” said Emma Rondeau. “We always tell each other: ‘leave everything else outside of practice; don’t bring anything in. Only focus on cheer.’ That’s really helped us.”
When asked how long a routine lasts, the four captains answered like the well-practiced ensemble they are: “two minutes and 30 seconds,” they said, in concert.
Compared to the amount of time they practice, 150 seconds doesn’t sound like much.
“In the moment, it feels like the longest thing ever,” Pineda said.
“If we can go through three hours of practice, we can get through two minutes and 30 seconds,” Owens said. “You have 2:30 to show off what you’ve worked so many hours a week in practice.”
But with the competition component of their high school careers at an end, all the time spent on the mat – three hours or two and a half minutes – will be missed.
“It’s changed me as a person from freshman year to senior year,” Exposito said. “It’s made me way more confident in myself, knowing what I have to do but also challenging myself in ways I can improve myself.”
Rondeau and Owens also spent many years competing in gymnastics, a natural springboard to cheerleading.
“The amount of time cheer took up in my life, it’s hard to let go of that,” said Owens, who will attend High Point University. “High school cheer has made me appreciate competing and performing and took away the fears of having eyes on you.”
Rondeau also said the support from coach Doni Gill played a key role in their success, whether she recommended a day off to mentally refocus or pointing out what could be done better.
“The discipline taught us how we’re going to act in the future,” Rondeau said. “She wants us to work for everything and not settle for anything.”
Mid-March was a special time to be a Panther. On the same day (Sunday, March 15) the cheer team won nationals in Orlando, Franklin’s boys basketball team won its first state championship in Lowell. A week later, the Theatre Company moved on to the state finals.
The cheer team, which returned home the following Monday, watched the basketball game (which started at 6 p.m.) via livestream at a team dinner.
“They’ve done a really good job supporting us,” Owens said.
“It was great to see them winning their state championship because they came so close last year (losing by 6 points in the state finals),” Exposito, a University of Rhode Island commit, said. “It was definitely good that they won, because it brought more attention to us.”
The spotlight – and the cheer team’s performance – shines brightest when the competition grows - from Hockomock League to nationals. The effort only adds to an ever-crowded championship banner in the gym. Fall of ‘22 may not be on there, but the dividends are.
“The four of us worked really hard to get to where we are right now,” Pineda said, “and we hope the girls that are behind us can take it away to the next generation and so on and so on.”
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached attdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Instagram at tdumas1.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Franklin cheer wins third national championship in four years
Continue reading...
Franklin High’s cheerleading team recently returned home from Florida with the program’s third national championship in four years. The triumph capped a season of them: league, state and regional titles.
When the team’s four senior captains sat down for a 30-minute interview in the school’s athletic office last week, they each pointed to the beginning of their sophomore year as a turning point. That fall “was kind of crappy,” said Ceci Pineda.
“We didn’t mesh as well,” added Lea Exposito. “Practices were hard and the team didn’t handle it the way we should have. We had very good skills; we just didn’t put them all together. It was mental.”
“You can have all the talent in the world,” Keira Owens said, “but if you don’t have the mental aspect of any sport, it’s really not possible.”
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Franklin’s senior class has won seven of a possible eight state championships since they entered the school; four in the winter and three in the fall. The only exception? That fall.
“But even that was a lesson for us, to use it,” Pineda said. “We learned from that. We’re successful because of that.”
The team also includes Kat Rosenberger, Taylor Briggs, Aeriel Orrell, Lilah Wainwright, Emily Bartlett, Cassidy Stanley, Aria Nicholson, Josie Warner and Ashley Rickey.
Injuries have also played a part, especially for Owens. She broke her hand and missed the fall season of her junior year. Plus, bulging discs in her back had her doing physical therapy this season, although she was able to compete and help the Panthers sweep the postseason competitions and win another national championship.
“I’ve looked back on all the injuries and the hard work that I had to put in to get to winning all of those,” she said. “We always say in practice: ‘you can’t say you want to win – you have to work to win.’ That’s something we’ve been led by. Working hard to want to win is what makes winning so much more fun.”
“They made us better as a team – all those injuries – figuring how to work together through the injuries,” said Emma Rondeau. “We always tell each other: ‘leave everything else outside of practice; don’t bring anything in. Only focus on cheer.’ That’s really helped us.”
Hours of practice lead to minutes of success
When asked how long a routine lasts, the four captains answered like the well-practiced ensemble they are: “two minutes and 30 seconds,” they said, in concert.
Compared to the amount of time they practice, 150 seconds doesn’t sound like much.
“In the moment, it feels like the longest thing ever,” Pineda said.
“If we can go through three hours of practice, we can get through two minutes and 30 seconds,” Owens said. “You have 2:30 to show off what you’ve worked so many hours a week in practice.”
You must be registered for see images attach
But with the competition component of their high school careers at an end, all the time spent on the mat – three hours or two and a half minutes – will be missed.
“It’s changed me as a person from freshman year to senior year,” Exposito said. “It’s made me way more confident in myself, knowing what I have to do but also challenging myself in ways I can improve myself.”
Rondeau and Owens also spent many years competing in gymnastics, a natural springboard to cheerleading.
“The amount of time cheer took up in my life, it’s hard to let go of that,” said Owens, who will attend High Point University. “High school cheer has made me appreciate competing and performing and took away the fears of having eyes on you.”
Rondeau also said the support from coach Doni Gill played a key role in their success, whether she recommended a day off to mentally refocus or pointing out what could be done better.
“The discipline taught us how we’re going to act in the future,” Rondeau said. “She wants us to work for everything and not settle for anything.”
Franklin cheer, basketball, drama all enjoy success
Mid-March was a special time to be a Panther. On the same day (Sunday, March 15) the cheer team won nationals in Orlando, Franklin’s boys basketball team won its first state championship in Lowell. A week later, the Theatre Company moved on to the state finals.
The cheer team, which returned home the following Monday, watched the basketball game (which started at 6 p.m.) via livestream at a team dinner.
“They’ve done a really good job supporting us,” Owens said.
“It was great to see them winning their state championship because they came so close last year (losing by 6 points in the state finals),” Exposito, a University of Rhode Island commit, said. “It was definitely good that they won, because it brought more attention to us.”
You must be registered for see images attach
The spotlight – and the cheer team’s performance – shines brightest when the competition grows - from Hockomock League to nationals. The effort only adds to an ever-crowded championship banner in the gym. Fall of ‘22 may not be on there, but the dividends are.
“The four of us worked really hard to get to where we are right now,” Pineda said, “and we hope the girls that are behind us can take it away to the next generation and so on and so on.”
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached attdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Instagram at tdumas1.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Franklin cheer wins third national championship in four years
Continue reading...
