LA JOLLA – La Jolla High School captured the CIF San Diego Section Game Day Non-Tumbling Small School championship, defeating Vincent Memorial, El Camino and Morse.
It is the program’s second CIF cheerleading title in three seasons under head coach Christian Velasquez.
Judges scored La Jolla’s routine an 88 out of 100, edging runner-up Morse to secure the section title. The Vikings improved on a runner-up finish in the same division at last year’s CIF Section championship.
“CIF carries a lot just because of the name,” Velasquez said. “We take it seriously. It’s very important, and it sets the tone. Last year, we got runner-up and it (was) a big blow to the team. At that point, we used it as motivation.”
The CIF San Diego Section championships are open to all schools with a competition cheer team. Teams compete in divisions based on difficulty and style: Divisions 1, 2 and 3 are ranked by stunting difficulty, while Game Day focuses on performance.
La Jolla, on Dec. 13 at Carlsbad High, competed in the Non-Tumbling Game Day division, where judges score routines using a set rubric. Team placements are determined by those scores.
“Our routine consists of a band chant, a fight song and a cheer,” Velasquez said. “It’s a three-minute routine that emulates the game-day atmosphere, which is why it’s called the Game Day category. It’s very upbeat and requires a lot of cardio, since the team performs the entire three minutes. Normal routines in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 are two and a half minutes, so this one is longer and more demanding.”
The team fields 19 athletes, led by four senior captains: Emery Hon, Alyssa Willkom-Zigler, Devenney Hurtado and Emma Matheny. Other seniors on the squad include Lupe Galvez, Ella Hall, Maya Schwartzman and Rozelin Cabrera.
“Our team captains set the standard and tone,” Velasquez said. “They have the most experience and help enhance the performance. We also have a lot of high-level juniors, but it’s mostly the kids who come in with experience — many from my middle school programs — who become the leaders on the team.”
Velasquez’s cheerleading background includes competing at Calexico High School, cheering at San Diego State University and participating in all-star cheer with Cheer Force in El Cajon.
He was hired in April 2023 following the dismissal of La Jolla High’s previous coach and assistant coach amid allegations of abusive treatment and retaliation. At the time, parents of at least four cheerleaders alleged emotional abuse, though the coaches denied the claims to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“I didn’t let that influence me at all,” Velasquez said. “I had already been coaching and I just introduced my way of doing things. It took some getting used to from the community and the girls, but we’ve settled into a really good flow. Now, three years in, the juniors — the freshmen who came in when I started — are used to the routine and my expectations.”
The Vikings will not participate in the state championships at the end of the month due to the logistical challenges of traveling to Northern California. Instead, they will compete at the Multi-Night Championship for USA Nationals in February in Anaheim.
