by Mark McDermott
The Mira Costa High School Cheer team made history earlier this year. They won the first-ever CIF state-level championship on February 1, triumphing over 21 other elite cheer teams competing in the invitational tournament.
Coach Travis Neese said the team’s accomplishment was particularly meaningful because of its historical significance.
“This was the first official year that CIF has recognized cheerleading as a state championship,” he said. “So that makes it even a sweeter victory, the fact that not only did we win, but we won in our home gym, and that it was the inaugural year of a true cheerleading state championship.”
Costa Cheer did win a championship in 2023 but that was not officially sanctioned by CIF, which recognized cheerleading as an official sport in 2018 but had not previously declared state champions. In addition to the CIF championship, the Costa Cheer team also placed at an elite level in the national championships, held a week after state competitions at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The competitive Costa Cheer team finished 5th and the sideline cheer team 6th.
Mayor Amy Howorth recognized the team at the City Council on April 1. She said that recognition of the sport was overdue.
“These women are athletes,” Howorth said. “They are student-athletes, they are scholars, and to do what they do requires time management, it requires commitment, and it requires sacrifice…You really have made us all very proud.”
Neese said part of what set this Cheer team apart was its togetherness and poise in big moments.
“There’s no buzzer beater in cheerleading,” he said. “When they’re cheering on the sideline, whether it’s a football, basketball, lacrosse, or volleyball game, we’re cheering and trying to keep the crowd engaged. But when they’re on the floor [in competition] it is them cheering for themselves, for each other. It’s not an individual activity. And so when you’ve got the same routine, two minutes and 30 seconds in your head, you’ve two minutes and 28 seconds to react and do it in a way that you keep your calm, collectively, not only for yourself, but for the entire group. Because in the sense there’s four people, it’s not just you. So while there’s 19 or 30 people on the mat, they react as one person to make sure they’re successful.”
The Cheer team has 70 members in its sideline program, and the top 30 of those athletes participate in the CIF competition.
Neese said the Cheer squad also plays a unique role in the community
“So, as you can imagine, there’s the hard work that goes into not just being a student, first and foremost, but being a sideline cheerleader, supporting the various activities on campus, not just sports,” he said. “They’re in different events throughout the school year, and then throughout the community, with the Skechers walk, the Tour de Pier, and various public appearances. They are, in my mind, the most visible student athletes, not just on campus, but in the community, and in the South Bay, as well as at the state and national level representing Manhattan Beach and the school district. They are outstanding individuals. It’s impressive what they do.”
The Cheer squad had 14 seniors this year, all of whom will attend Division 1 universities next year, Neese said.
“These kids have incredible amounts of pressure to keep their grades up, be scholar athletes, be involved in things like Model UN as well as sports,” he said. “A lot of these girls are in the National Charity League, and then on top of that, getting into their top dream schools.”
The team was led by six senior captains: Gabby Coelho, Jenna Brodkin, Kaylie Fenton, Maggie Ryan, Megan Kernochan, and Sawyer Bertino.
“I’ve been coaching for over 20 years, and this is by far the smoothest year I’ve experienced,” Neese said. “Aside from the victories, it truly was just a joy, and probably the most fun I’ve ever had as a coach. And that I attribute to the leadership of those six senior captains.”
That joy, the coach said, was the defining characteristic of this Costa Cheer team.
“That joy was the biggest win for us this year,” Neese said. “Over the trophies, for sure.”
The Costa Cheer team members are: Freshmen Jolie Fach and Summer Apirian; sophomores Ciara Stone, Claire Jang, Jessica McMurrey, Julia Truitt, Laila Usmani, Mailina Honda, Mila Lang, Victoria Silva, Stella Short Love, and Skyler Avila; juniors Chandler Stone, Kylie Cullen, Landyn Behrens, Maddie Rosenfeld, Maya Rose Rauch, Pia S. Meidav, Riley Mahoney, Riley Miller, Sopia Peña, Riley Marsh, and Sophia Zagross; and seniors (in addition to aforementioned captains) Ava Llorens, Bri Havlin, Margaret Lorenzen, Miki Uchida, and Tessa Lukes. Coaches, in addition to Neese, are Tim Rivera and Bre Gonzalez. ER
