West Warwick cheerleading becomes the winningest program in the state — here's how
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — West Warwick’s cheerleading banner hung in plain view.
The Wizards were draped directly behind the judges and centered perfectly on the Ryan Center floor. There was no doubt who owned the RIIL State Cheerleading Competition. It was the Wizards' show again this winter.
For a fourth straight time, West Warwick won the state’s crown with a 93.0 score. The Wizards, competing in the co-ed division, also took that title for the seventh consecutive season by topping St. Raphael’s 80.5. Sunday’s double-dip championship are the Wizards 15th and 16th overall titles, which broke a tie with La Salle for the most in the state.
“No matter what happened, I was just so proud of my team,” West Warwick’s Mya Silvestre said. “The chills that I got, even when we finished the dance, I literally just broke down and cried. This is what we’ve all been working for.”
“The feeling is unreal,” Kyanna Molavi said. “Every single time we hear our name called for state champions, it's an unreal feeling. Everyone, and our family — we put the work in year after year.”
The Wizards are a cheerleading factory, and their community is behind them. The front-row seating behind the judges was dominated by a sea of orange and black. Those fans matched West Warwick’s energy and that’s an almost impossible challenge.
“It feels incredible,” West Warwick’s Hannah Brennan said. “This season, we've really had a lot of ups and downs and we have put in the work to get to where we are today. We earned this.”
“I just saw my parents in the front row and I knew that I could push through," Silvestre said. "When we ended the first stunt, I was literally in tears.”
Achievement First finished runner-up for the overall state crown. It’s quite the end to the season for the Division IV program. The Falcons won their divisional crown with an 86.5 finish — it’s the first cheerleading championship for the Providence school.
“This whole season, it's been a struggle,” Achievement’s Kaylee Cabrera said. “We were getting beat down, but we did amazing today. I thought we got third, but it turns out we got runner-up. That was crazy.”
La Salle narrowly edged Pilgrim, 85.8 to 84.9, for the Division I title for the Rams’ 15th overall championship. Barrington’s 72.6 routine topped North Providence by less than a point for the Division II title. And Ponaganset snagged the Division III crown with a 78.9 routine.
After each champion, and place finishers, were announced, the competitors erupted for each other.
“Everybody has each other’s back,” Cabrera said. “There's so much sportsmanship. It's great to love your competition. They're all exciting, they're all fun and it's just enjoyable.”
The afternoon was capped by a performance from Special Olympics Rhode Island. There were a lot of awards handed out, but the day belonged to that last group. The Ryan Center wasn’t louder than in those final minutes of the day. Each of the 26 teams competing Sunday watched and cheered along.
“That was special. I loved hearing the crowd cheer for them,” Cabrera said.
“They were the true winners,” Silvestre said. “I love watching them. One of their coaches is our tumbling coach, so we have a really good bond with them. And, honestly, watching them, it's just so heartwarming.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How West Warwick cheerleading captured a fourth straight title
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