Big 10 Cheer wins first-ever national championship

HERMON, Maine (WABI) - Big 10 Cheer is back from the Summit Division II Championship after a historic performance in the first week of May at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.

Senior 3 team wins title, Junior 5 team finishes 2nd, Junior 1 team finishes 5th — Senior 3 team wins title, Junior 5 team finishes 2nd, Junior 1 team finishes 5th(WABI/Sheena Scales)

Big 10 Cheer’s Senior 3 team completed its redemption tour for its first national championship in gym history after taking 3rd place in 2021.

“Everyone wanted it so much. We all worked together and made everything work so well. We were very determined this year. We were really able to come to practice, focus on what we needed to, and really know that work isn’t just inside practice. It’s also doing more work outside of practice,” said Taylor Gilio, side base/flyer.

Their communication and closeness led to perfect technique scores.

“When you watch a cheer routine, you can’t see everybody talking to each other on the mat. That’s all that really happens the entire time. We’re saying ‘come on, you can do this, keep going.’ The way that we loved each other and talked to each other on the mat is what gave us that win,” said Ella Carver, main base.

The Senior 3 team was joined by Big 10′s 2nd place Junior 5 Jinx lineup and 5th place Junior 1 Smoke squad.

“It feels really good. All of the work that has been put into every single season to make these dreams really come true is finally paying off,” said Gilio.

“We had so much fun in Florida all together. We had team dinners and practice. We do everything all together most of the time. It’s just great being there,” said Carver.

Big 10 has seen a boom in tryout registrations. They’re up to 130.

“It’s definitely going to bring a lot more kids here, which is amazing because we’re a small, little gym in Hermon,” said Carver.

“This place is my second home. It can create that second home for so many other kids,” said Gilio.

Tryouts for the next championship contender start in a week and a half.

The champs have gotten to show off their championship rings too.

They practiced two to three times per week from June to March before ramping it up to five times per week in April.

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