The argument whether cheerleading is a sport has taken place among athletes for years and is still being debated today, even after the International Olympic Committee recognized the sport on July 20, 2021. Anyone who attended Maryland’s Winter State 2024 cheer competition watched Linganore High School’s (LHS) varsity cheer team prove that it is.
On February 27, Linganore and 27 other high school teams competed for state championship titles at Harford Community College. The competition had schools 1A through 4A competing, with LHS Cheer competing against teams in the 3A division. These high schools included Stephen Decatur, South River, Chesapeake, Bel Air, Manchester Valley and St. Charles.
Linganore placed second against these teams with a score of 122.1, while Chesapeake came in first with a score of 123 and St. Charles came in third place with a score of 120.6.
Both athletes and coaches were confident going into the competition. This confidence proved to be a good thing as the team “hit zero” in their performance, a term that in cheer means the team had zero deductions.
“I felt prepared and ready to go,” said Linganore’s varsity cheer head coach, Amy Rumburg. “I felt they [the team] were more than ready to compete. We had a long time to prepare since counties, and they just got better and better.”
The routine that Linganore Cheer showcased this year was the hardest in LHS history. The routine remained the same for the entire year, winning the fall State competition as well as earning Grand Champion, meaning the team had the highest-scoring routine in the state.
Following their performance at the Winter State cheer competition, members of the team felt confident coming off the mat after performing the routine.
“I felt so amazing,” said LHS sophomore and second-year varsity athlete Isabella Hoffman. “Honestly, the adrenaline of it all makes me forget how I felt on the mat, but I do know I was super happy because we hit a perfect routine.”.
The performance was also an emotional event because it would be the last time that four LHS athletes would be able to compete for Linganore. Seniors Whitney Burgess, Charlie Chicovsky, Kaitlin Weis and Alexxis Musser hit the floor for the last time at Harford.
“I am going to miss my teammates,” said Captain Alexxis Musser. “The laughs and memories I have shared with these girls is something I will never forget, and I truly thank them for making my high school cheer career more than I could have ever imagined.”
Musser has been a part of the Linganore varsity team for all four years of high school and has made many memories with teammates and coaches alike.
“Knowing that I will never compete under Jean [Davis, assistant varsity coach,] and Amy [Rumburg] again is definitely hitting very hard, but I know that they will always be my family, and LHS cheer will always be a home to me,” said Musser.
After all teams competed, awards were presented as were three scholarships worth $2,500, which were granted to three seniors. The seniors included Makiah Brown from McDonough, and Aaliyah Pinkney and Emaley Rill from Francis Scott Key.
Spectators were wowed by the difficult stunts and tricks the team was able to perform and were shocked with the final scores.
“I knew there were excellent teams performing, but after seeing what they did, I thought they had back-to-back wins,” said Elizabeth Monzon, mother to LHS junior varsity cheer athlete Carmen Monzon. “No matter, they were amazing [and] I just hope they know that.”
Overall, Linganore cheer is proud of what they accomplished having also succeeded in becoming county and regional champions earlier in the season. The team is ready to make a comeback next year with an even better routine than the last.
“New seasons are always exciting because new talent and returners get to come back,” Rumburg said. “So, [we are] just looking forward to getting back and creating even more amazing routines than we did this past season–just raising the bar.”
