Tewksbury Cheerleaders Make History With Regional Win

One by one, teams were announced for their place in the Division 2 regional cheerleading competition. And each time she didn't hear Tewksbury called, Kim Doherty got more nervous.

"When they didn't announce us for third place, I was pretty certain that we would be announced as second place. but when they didn't announce us for second, my knees got a little weak and I really started shaking," said Doherty, the TMHS head coach. "When they announced: '2014 Division 2 Regional Champions: Tewksbury Memorial High School' I literally sat on the floor and was overcome with emotion."

It's hard to blame Doherty for her excitement. This was a historic moment for the Tewksbury High School cheerleading program.

On Sunday, the locals performed their way to the Division 2 regional championship for the first time in program history.

As a result, the team is currently ranked fifth in the state out of 68 teams for Division 2 all-girl cheerleading teams. That too is an all-time record for the Tewksbury cheerleading program.

According to Doherty, the victory will help the program continue to excel in the future, in addition to being something to celebrate in the present.

"It is validation," said Doherty. "Validation that the girls' hard work and focus really does pay off. It is also validation that that my push to evolve from a tradition-based program to a skill-based one was the right move for the program. The TMHS Cheerleading program has grown leaps and bounds in the past three years. A win like this will only help continue that growth, not only numbers, but in depth of skill as well."

Thanks to the victory, the team advanced to the state competition, which will be held on Sunday at Tantasqua Regional High School in Fiskdale.

Doherty said she is extremely proud of the sacrifices her cheerleaders have made all year. The Tewksbury coach said her athletes are out to prove a bigger picture message each time they perform.

"It may comes as a surprise to some people who still buy into the 'cheerleading-isn't-a-sport' mentality, but the second my girls step onto the mat, they are hyper-focused and conditioned to sacrifice their bodies in order to save a stunt or land their tumbling pass," said Doherty. "They walk around all year with the bruises, sprains, fractures, and rug-burn from the mats to prove it. These girls get only one 2.5-minute chance win a competition, so if the team doesn't go in 100% prepared and conditioned then they don't stand a chance of winning."