The CIF League Championship Cheer Event took place at Bell High School on March 17. With a total of nine schools in attendance, this was a highly competitive event. This was the first competition in three years for MACES. 

Coach Maitland is involved in many different positions, some being a teacher, color guard coach, and assistant basketball coach; however, she is also the coach for the cheer team. “The girls have worked really hard and seeing them finally perform was extremely fulfilling,” Maitland says. For her, coaching this team has been a learning experience, and said that practice is very important in knowing that “they are physically there to put on a show.”

Much like the girls, this was Coach Maitland’s first cheer competition. “I was super excited, we’ve waited for three years to compete,” she said. Although the team did not place this time, they made it through the routine with zero errors. “I expect a lot of reflection and growth. I hope to place, continue to grow as a team, add to our routine, and add more stunts,” Maitland said. 

Jasmine Ochoa is one of the cheer captains and base for the team. “I was proud to be there, because I know that I myself have worked hard and so had my team,” Ochoa states about her experience of the competition. She also states what it feels like to be a part of the cheer team, “It feels really good to be part of a cheer team because those girls are like family to me. I feel welcomed on the team and like I belong.”  

Natalie Garcia is a sophomore and flier on the cheer team. “What was difficult about our first competition was that a handful of people in our team were not able to compete, so we had to adapt and change the performance to the best we could do in a small amount of time,” Garcia said. In addition, she describes what she finds enjoyable about cheerleading, “To me, cheer is something that helps me distract myself and focus on and put effort into. It makes me realize how far we’ve come as a team after practicing for some time and seeing the end result.”