MHS Cheer Team flips onto national stage

Olivia Zellner | The Chronicle

The 2025 competitive cheerleading season held many unexpected twists for the Mason High School (MHS) cheerleading team, ending their competition season traveling to Orlando Flordia for their first trip to Nationals in program history. 

After facing numerous injuries, mental blocks and the relentless pressure of competing on the national stage, the MHS competitive cheerleading team triumphed with two top-five finishes at the National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC). The team placed fourth in the Traditional category and fifth in the Game Day category this year, an accomplishment that capped off a record-breaking season for the Comets.

For freshman Brooklyn Howard, the experience was about much more than just the titles the team earned. Howard said it was about pushing past obstacles, supporting each other and proving to themselves that they could do something momentous with the program.

“At the beginning, the team wasn’t very close,” Howard said. “But after everything we went through, it felt like we became a family. It wasn’t just about winning—it was about being there for each other and dealing with the challenges together.”

The highs and lows of the season also resonated with Howard, who said she was especially inspired by her teammates’ resilience.

“[The season] wasn’t just about the skills; it was about how we kept going when things got hard,” Howard said. “There are a couple of girls that I really look up to, especially their attitude and the way they respond to the coaches, even just how they cheer.”

Similarly, junior Maya Stevens had a particularly difficult hurdle to overcome after tearing a ligament in her hand partway through the season. She said that although the recovery was tough, she knew that Nationals was still in the cards for her, but not without the support of her team.

“I had to get surgery during the season, and that was difficult to come back from,” Stevens said. “But I was determined to get back to the team and get to nationals. It wasn’t just about me; I wanted to be there for my teammates.”

This bond, however, was not just forged by the cheerleaders themselves. Sophomore Gabby Sell said the team’s second-year coach, Micaela Donatello, played a vital role in navigating the team through tough times. Although new to instructing at the high school level, Sell said Donatello gave the team a much-needed confidence boost, even in their most difficult moments.

“We had some tough moments, especially at nationals,” Sell said. “When we didn’t hear our name until the end of the finalists list for Game Day, we were all really nervous. But our coach told us, ‘No matter what happens, we’re a team and we’ve come so far.’ It was exactly what we needed to hear at that moment.”

Soon after her coach’s boost of inspiration, the team made it to finals, an opportunity Sell said was unprecedented for MHS Competitive Cheerleading.

“We didn’t place very well at local competitions, especially at states, where we didn’t even make it to finals,” Sell said. “So we were worried going into Nationals. We didn’t expect to make finals, and we did. I think coming together as a team really helped, as well as the support that the girls have for each other.”

Sell said she also struggled with doubts early in the season, particularly after lacking motivation in the year. However, she said performing at Nationals helped her put those struggles into perspective.

“There were times when I wanted to quit,” Sell said. “But after Nationals, I definitely want to come back and make it work. My love for the girls grew this season, and they’re truly my best friends now.”

For Stevens, performing on the national stage was not only a milestone for the team, but also a personal victory after her injury earlier in the season.

“It was amazing because I never thought I would get this far,” Stevens said. “I was a former gymnast, so we never got to do anything with people from school. So being with my closest school and cheer friends meant a lot, especially after being injured. Competing after everything that this team has been through is just really incredible.”

As the season drew to a close, Maya Stevens said the group’s time together had shaped them in ways that went beyond their success on the mat. Stevens said the lessons she learned from the season stretched into other areas of her life.

“I realized that cheer isn’t just a sport, and that it can really make a family,” Stevens said. “It makes me look at things differently, even school. I’m more determined in that part of my life, just because of how much perseverance I’ve had to have at cheer.”

Looking ahead, the team said their success was defined not just by the rankings, but by the camaraderie they found in each other along the way.

“The girls are my best friends, and it was amazing seeing everyone hug each other and our coach our coach run out on the mat after our finals performance,” Stevens said. “It was the best last routine all together on the mat that we could have asked for.”