GHS Cheer Finishes Strong, Seniors Leave Mark

GHS seniors cheerleaders (from left) Abby Guy, Ava Westergren, Alexa Bouzakis, and Kyleigh Shuck closed their high school career by helping the Guardians to a top-three finish at the Open Championships. The four are pictured on Senior Night at GHS on Feb. 17. Photo credit – Glastonbury Sport Photography

The seniors on the Glastonbury High School cheer team ended their high school on a high note, leading a Guardians squad that placed 3rd in the Advanced Level at the New England Cheerleading Association (NECA) Open Championships on Feb. 25 at East Haven High School. 

It ended an interesting year for the cheer unit that had as many as nine seniors to start the season, but for a variety of reasons, had only four remaining by season’s end. 

“When everyone else left it brought us closer because we all put ourselves out there and wanted to make this work,” said Abby Guy, who added the performance at NECA was a good send off. “It meant a lot to us especially because it was our last year and we wanted to make it a good year.”

Guy, Ava Westergren, Alexa Bouzakis, and Kyleigh Schuck were the final four seniors that had to shoulder a bigger load in
competition, along with helping mentor the next generation of Guardians cheerleaders.

“With a cheer team you need a specific amount of people to do what we do, so with people gone we had to readjust every time, which made it harder,” recalled Schuck. 

Westergren said it was important to keep the team’s “spirit up”, adding “We had to encourage everyone and keep the team positive.” 

Despite an adjustment period, the four never wavered and began to thrive once competition rolled around, placing top-three at both the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC)-West finals and posting the team best (77.60) at the NECA competition, finishing behind only first-place RHAM High School (79.00) and runner-up Branford High School (78.60). 

“We put in a lot of effort into the competition and routine especially because we did have a hard season,” said Bouzakis. “Doing really well at NECA was really rewarding.”

The future of GHS cheer also shined at the Open Championships as the junior varsity (JV) team placed 2nd overall in the JV division.

For the four seniors, NECA was the last time they would perform as a unit. All four have cheered together at GHS since freshman year, participating in both the fall and winter season. 

The high school cheerleading season is broken up into two segments, with the team performing at the football games in the fall and at basketball games in the winter. The winter time is also the competition season.

The seniors agreed that cheerleading in the fall was preferred because there is less pressure and due to the excitement of performing under the Friday night lights in front of large crowds. 

However, by the time February rolled around, the four each said they embraced the pressure that comes with the end-of-season competitions. 

It was also an interesting four-year journey for the departing seniors at GHS. When they were sophomores, Covid-19 shutdown the football season and the cheer squad would perform during soccer games without stunting due to the restriction placed on distancing and physical contact during performances. 

Following an unfulfilling sophomore season, the four returned ready to rebuild a sport that, along with football and wrestling, had some of the toughest restrictions in the state during 2020.

The seniors said one of the goals this year was to create a positive culture, blending all the grades and ability levels together in an effort to create a more welcoming environment for this season and beyond.

“There was a lot of team bonding this season,” said Westergren. “No matter what grade, we found kids to bond with.”
With only a few months left at GHS, each has started to make preparations beyond high school.  

Guy recently committed to the University of Rhode Island where she will study communications. She is attending cheer clinics and may continue cheering at the next level.

Bouzakis is still deciding her college location, but wants to study business. She noted that she may continue to cheer at a club level depending on where she ends up. 

Schuck is looking at schools down south where she plans to study psychology and also may do club cheer. 

Westergren said will not cheer at the next level and is deciding between Penn State and The University of South Carolina where she will study criminology. 

​The four agreed that the time a GHS was “flown by” and referred to the end of high school cheerleading as “bitter sweet”. 
Shuck added, “I’ll miss the girls, and the friendships.”  
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