Shoreham-Wading River's 1st state title, in a word: Flawless
Shoreham-Wading River competes in the state Class C cheerleading championship at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, N.Y., on March 8. Credit: /Marilu Lopez Fretts
When it came to perfection this season, the Shoreham-Wading River cheerleading team turned the pressure into prowess on the mat.
The Wildcats clinched the program’s first state title with a victory that capped a season of statement wins.
"This team didn’t flinch,” coach Brie Carlen said of how the team handled pressure. “They stayed locked in all season and earned every bit of this.”
To reach the top, Shoreham-Wading River had to defeat two of the most dominant programs in the state: six-time champion Mount Sinai and two-time defending champion Seaford.
At the county championship, the Wildcats hit their first flawless routine with zero deductions all season to edge Mount Sinai by just 0.85 points and advance to the state championship.
“Once we got that county title and hit zero on the competition mat, they hit every single routine,” Carlen said. “The consistency was there, and I knew they could do it.”
In Binghamton, the Wildcats faced Seaford in their first state appearance since 2023, when they finished second behind the Vikings in the Division II large team category.
“We knew Seaford was our top competitor, but we all knew if we came together on the mat and hit again, we could do it,” senior backspot Alexa Langenhahn said.
This time, the result was different. Shoreham-Wading River delivered a near-flawless performance to defeat the powerhouse and bring home the school’s first state cheer title with a score of 86.25 — a 1.05 point advantage.
“Our first 'hit zero' proved to us that we could do it again,” Langenhahn said. “We knew we had to put our all into this final routine and we did it.”
After falling just short two seasons ago, Shoreham-Wading River returned with a sharper, cleaner routine that included high-to-high stretches. The team’s consistency and execution proved the difference in a field stacked with top-tier competition.
“We’ve been growing a lot over the years, so we’ve been pushing for this all season,” Carlen said. “The girls have worked in and outside of school and we had full trust and faith in them.”
Though Langenhahn said the team faced challenges that caused changes to the routine and forced the squad to adapt, she said the Wildcats’ dedication grew stronger.
“This team has been through so many obstacles," she said, "whether it was sicknesses or injuries, but we all came together and we knew we had to come back in the final moments and we did.”
As Shoreham-Wading River graduates six seniors, it will return five juniors, five freshmen, two eighth-graders and a sophomore next season.
“They have the experience and will be prepared to chase this feeling next year,” Carlen said. “I have no doubt they’ll continue to hit more flawless routines on their way here again.”
