Pace High’s cheerleading squad heads to state finals

After placing second in regional competitions, Monsignor Edward Pace High School’s varsity cheerleading squad will be heading straight to the FHSAA State Finals on January 28-29 in Gainesville. This is the first time in 16 years that the cheerleading team will be going to the state finals, and the first time ever that they qualified to head straight to finals. 

The team scored a 77.40 and received zero deductions in the FHSAA regional competitions on January 6, scoring around 10 points higher than last year despite performing a more difficult routine. Since they scored over a 70, they immediately qualified for the state finals and will be skipping the semi-finals. 

“It’s really exciting for us,” said Lauren Aponte, a Pace sophomore and Miami Lakes resident who is a base on the team. She says that practices have been more grueling this year, but it has been worth it. “It was our goal to go straight to state finals, so reaching that goal was a huge accomplishment for us.”