REGION – The Assabet cheerleading team returned from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this week with a brand new trophy after winning a national cheerleading championship.
The triumph marked a first for the program and capped a 2021-2022 season that already saw this team notch major wins on multiple occasions.
“It’s super exciting,” head coach Shelby Seymour told the Community Advocate on Monday.
Team secures early season wins
Assabet snagged early season victories, winning their league tournament last fall.
They finished in second place in their regional competition to punch a ticket to the state championship.
There, they finished in seventh place, earning a trip to nationals.
Seymour led the team through the season, returning with the group to a national stage of competition where she, herself, won a national championship roughly 15 years ago with Marlborough High School.
“It’s definitely a lot more competitive than it’s ever been when I was competing in high school,” Seymour said of the current dynamic.
‘It’s been…unreal’
Seymour and her team were still in the process of traveling back to Massachusetts when she spoke, reflecting on this win during a layover in Baltimore.
Though they had recently been in the air, Seymour and her players were will aware of the response and congratulations that had poured in following their win.
“It’s been, actually, unreal,” she said.
This marked a continuation of community support that manifested long before nationals, Seymour explained, as supporters initially helped fundraise to get the Aztecs to their competition.
They amassed roughly $10,000 through fundraisers ranging from donut sales to a showcase night.
Now bringing a trophy back to campus, Seymour said she is hopeful that the cheerleading program may soon grow.
“The girls love it,” she said. “They’re super welcoming to new girls and we’re just hoping now that we can kind of get a bit [bigger] every year.”
“I’m hoping with winning a national title that we’re able to have more girls that are interested in the sport,” she continued.
Looking to the future, the team is eyeing a state championship.
“It’s one of the hardest things to do in cheerleading,” Seymour said. “So I would say that’s gonna be your next goal.”
This year’s Assabet cheerleading team includes Angie Dibuono, Michaela Menear, Haylee Roder, Samantha Phillips, Madison Taylor, Daucen Chamberlain and Falicia Hartford.
Emma Fondas, Rachel Benway and Felicia Rodrigues are senior captains.
Jill Fiore is an assistant coach.
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