Salute to the Champs: Hauppauge cheerleading
Hauppauge team cheer state championship from the 2020 championship competition. Credit: Laura Candela
The Eagles took flight this season.
Into the history books and, occasionally, quite literally.
Making its first appearance in the state championship at the Rochester Institute of Technology on March 7, the Hauppauge cheerleading team captured the Division I small title, earning the second-highest score of the event with 93.28 points.
“It was one of the best days ever, to be able to do that with my team,” said senior base Olivia Gay. “We’d never been there before and to be able to hit both routines was one of the best feelings. I look back and feel great.”
Coach Laura Alonzo said Hauppauge started preparing for its championship run in August and credited the team for its mindset since those early practices.
“It was a blessing, all their hard work,” Alonzo said. “We go all year round with our training. Practice six days a week, competing once or twice a week, to be able to make it all the way to state.”
The key for the Eagles’ flight toward history, literal or otherwise, began with that training schedule. Throughout the season, Hauppauge fine-tuned its routine with challenging stunts and skills, working to become a cohesive unit on the mat.
“They are amazing athletes,” Alonzo said. “The conditioning that it takes for them to do these skills. The perfection, the consistency, it really is work.”
Practice wasn’t always easy, but the Eagles knew it was necessary and would lead to the perfection they hoped to achieve.
“It took a lot of physical work, but our team rallied together,” said senior back Caroline O’Brien. “We all had the same heart and drive to do the stunts and the routine.”
And, when the moment came at state, the Eagles seized their spotlight.
Hauppauge was first in its division following the preliminary round and didn’t flinch under the pressure during its final routine. Instead, the Eagles hit their marks, executed their stunts and, most importantly, had fun.
“I really don’t think there’s anything that feels better than that,” O’Brien said. “When you’re in a routine and someone is cheering for you or you’re cheering for someone else, you have that energy and it’s like no other feeling.”
The highlight of Hauppauge’s routine came when the Eagles hit their hand-to-hand stunt, one of the most challenging moves they attempted all season. Drawing plenty of cheers from the crowd, the stunt helped spark Hauppauge in the final moments and wrap up the team’s first title.
“There are four people in a stunt group and you all have to do what you need to do at the same exact time to make it work,” Alonzo said. “They were able to do that.”
With a state championship under their collective belt, the Eagles know their hard work was worth it and, now, are looking to soar to new heights next season, ready to defend their title.
“It takes a lot of energy and everyone has to be all in it,” Gay said. “We dedicated so much time and energy into this one routine and it really paid off.”
