Sachem East cheer made history this weekend, capturing the school’s first UCA National Championship in Orlando.
Sachem East had never placed higher than fifth in previous attempts at national glory. This year the girls had zero deductions and landed an incredible routine that pushed them ahead of the pack in the large school division.
“After they announced fifth, it was really amazing to see how humble the girls were when they looked at each other and said ‘we just made history’,” said Sachem East coach Christina Lotito, “still knowing that first place was a huge possibility.”
And when the news was delivered that Sachem East had won, it was pure jubilation on stage.
“This has been a dream of mine since I was a cheerleader at East,” said Sachem East coach Taylor Grimm, “and watching a team that I coached get to this point and win their first national title, has been a dream come true!”
It’s been a pretty good year for Sachem East first-year coach, Melissa Steigele, too.
“These feelings have been nothing but overwhelming,” said Steigele. “Each performance got stronger and stronger and I knew by the last routine our girls would come shining through!”
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro