First ever league champs crowned on April 18

Published April 30, 2021

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE—The Melrose High School competitive cheer team enjoyed a first-ever feat on April 18 when they swept the competition at the 2021 Middlesex League championship at Woburn High for the league title. Melrose used athleticism and strength, combined with dance and gymnastic skill to take down usual standouts like Wakefield and Wilmington, sweeping all events including tumbling, jumps and overall performance. 

It’s Melrose’s first league title and a wonderful culmination of events in a season when the girls supported the unbeaten 6-0 Red Raider football team. That both teams finished as champs has symmetry to it. 

2021 LEAGUE champs. The MHS cheer team pictured, kneeling: Brooke Heidebrecht, Olivia Hitchman, Megan Maggio, Talia Herbert, Caroline Del Isola, Maggie Healey and Jenna Champagne. Standing (middle from left) Sofia Barletta, Elisabeth Grava, Ava Harrison, Lauren OOverlan, Adele McAndrews, Erin Doherty, Taylor Pesce, Anna Brincheiero. Back: Lizzie Kenney, Madigan Laidlaw (Missing from photo: Itia Figeura, Olivia Martineau.) (Raj Das www.edphotos.com)

Led by captains Talia Herbert, Megan Maggio and Lauren Overlan, Melrose’s 21 strong team of athletes possessed a great blend of upperclass leaders and new blood that brought a unique gymnastics angle to the season.

Those on the roster this year included the aforementioned captains and Sophia Barletta, Anna Brincheiro, Jenna Champagne, Caroline Dell Isola, Erin Doherty, Itia Figueria, Elizabeth Grava, Ava Harrison, Maggie Healy, Brooke Heidebrecht, Olivia Hitchman, Lizzie Kenney, Maddie Laidlaw, Adele McAndrews, Emma Mignacca, Taylor Pesce, Sarah Podradchick and Olivia Martineau. 

SENIOR CHAMPS: from left, Olivia Martineau, capt. Talia Herbert, Olivia Hitchman, Brooke Heidebrecht, capt. Morgan Maggio, Caroline Del Isola, Maggie Healey and Jenna Champagne. (courtesy photo)

This season, Melrose added six new competitors to the squad, including freshmen and athletes of other sports taking advantage of the Fall2 wedge season. That element helped create an in-depth roster of talent that helped Melrose stick out among ML competition. But according to Melrose head coach Julie Pino, it’s the team’s chemistry that brought them to the next level. “In cheer, camaraderie is everything. You have to like and trust the person who is holding you or catching you,” she says. “This team was just so bonded, even though we lost a few pieces of the puzzle early in the season, our captains did a great job pulling us together. Their peers listened to them.”

The team also persevered despite a condensed schedule that saw them start action a little later in the season than normal. Says the coach, “We got a late start because of the nature of the Fall 2 schedule. But we certainly made up for time.” 

With a first ever league championship? Certainly.

Look for team to reach for the sky again come next fall.