Ward Melville cheerleading's Game Day state title part of their 'redemption year'
Ward Melville celebrates after winning the state Class A Game Day cheerleading championship on Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. Credit: Cindy Schultz
The Ward Melville cheerleading team arrived at the state Game Day championship with a point to prove — unfinished business from the year before lingering in their minds.
After finishing as state runner-up last year, the squad returned to the mat this season with the goal of hearing their name called as champions.
“We said that this year was going to be our redemption year,” said Emma Clontz, one of four seniors on the squad. “We’ve never wanted something more. We came so close last year, and we knew we’d have the chance to come back, so we put everything into being the best we could be.”
“Coming back from last year, it pushed us and made us want it more,” senior Emma Miller said. “We came back, and we came here for one thing and one thing only.”
Their determination paid off as the Patriots claimed the Class A state title with a 90.6, which was the second highest score of the competition at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. It marked the second state crown for Ward Melville, which won the Competitive Class A title last March.
"We were chasing that feeling of winning,” Clontz said. “Every single day at practice, we knew what we wanted the end goal to be and that’s what pushed us this year.”
“When we compete together on the mat, there’s that spark, that energy,” Miller said. “I think that’s what set us apart.”
While the Patriots went undefeated in both last year’s Game Day and Competitive seasons, they won just three of seven county competitions this year. That adversity inspired them to incorporate a new start to their practices.
“We decided we would start running for three minutes at the start of practice to our entire routine,” Miller said. “We wanted to teach ourselves discipline. I think it pushed us to work harder for the rest of practice in hopes it would pay off, and it did.”
“It was something they completely came up with on their own,” coach Georgia Curtis said. “It just goes to show you how much determination and discipline they have. Even [despite] losing competitions, they were motivated to come back harder.”
Ward Melville cheer team competes in the final round of the Class A State cheer championship on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. Ward Melville placed first in Class A. Credit: Cindy Schultz
Mentally preparing for the state finals is just as important as physically preparing. Junior Jessica Scardino bought every one of her teammates a journal to help them with their mindset.
“We would have mental talks where we would check in on each other constantly and make sure everyone knew we were all in this together,” Clontz said.
"They’re all willing to go above and beyond to help their teammates and that’s what truly makes them a family,” Curtis said. “The bond they have with each other really shows when they perform, and I think that’s what makes them special.”
