It’s been a long time coming. The Lake Shore Varsity Cheer team has officially claimed the MAC White Championship title, this time they didn’t settle for second place. For head coach, Sherrie Taormina, this win was more than a trophy. It was the result of eight years of hard work and dedication in the MAC White, where the team had repeatedly finished just short of first place.
Taormina said, “It was honestly like a really long time goal because we’ve been in the MAC White for eight years, and we have come in second like almost all those times, and it always seemed like something very little or an off day that changed the outcome. So it was nice to see a team lock in from the beginning and stay locked in ‘til the end. There’s not a better feeling as a coach seeing your team accomplish the things that they set out to do.”
Taormina explained that while coaches can help motivate athletes, true motivation has to always come from the team itself. But this year was different, they were goal-oriented, and understood that success comes from working together.
The drive to championship wasn’t easy. The team battled with injuries and illnesses very early in the season. According to Taormina, one of the biggest challenges was mindset. With many perfectionists on the team, overthinking sometimes got in the way. Taormina said, “I knew the mindset was going to be the challenge for the year. Like, yep, I know we have big goals, and it’s only October…we’re okay, we’re gonna get there, and once that started to pay off, and we were…in the moment, i feel like we saw that pay off. It came a lot easier.”
Some senior athletes especially felt the weight and reward of victory. Aubrey Alison said, “It meant all of our hard work paid off and we can end our cheer career with a big accomplishment.”
Jayda Brown, who has been on Varsity Cheer since freshman year said, “Winning the MAC White my senior year felt amazing. I’ve been on the Varsity team since freshman year and we were always coming in second to other teams so to finally be able to be THE undefeated MAC White champion team my last time ever competing in a MAC is very honorable and something I will never forget.”
Underclassmen also played a big role in the team’s success. Freshman Cali Wentworth said being part of the championship team meant a lot, especially after seeing the team struggle in last seasons.
“It feels so good to come in and grow with the team to where we wanted to be,” Wentworth said.
Another major change this year was injuries at the beginning of the season. Payton Garbacz explained that without the team stepping up, the championship wouldn’t be possible.
Victoria Deppner added that the team had to overcome mental and motivation struggles as well. Deppner said, “Some people had to learn how to leave school or home emotions at the door.”
When awards were announced, hearing Lake Shore called last, meaning that they took first, was a moment the team will never forget. Many athletes said celebrating together and making their coaches and alumni proud was one of the biggest highlights of the season.
For freshman Sarah Stanczak, the MAC White championship is just beginning. She said, “It motivates me because the fact that as a freshman, we won the MAC and we haven’t done it in so long, it makes me want to keep winning until my senior year.”
After many injuries and metal blocks and years of second place finishes, Lake Shore Varsity Cheer proved that hard work pays off. The season wasn’t just about winning a title, it was growth, teamwork, and finally finishing on top.
