As she tightens her hair and adjusts her uniform, her confidence and adrenaline skyrocket. She and her team step onto the nine panels of blue mat. Spending countless hours perfecting routines, focusing on both the technical and emotional aspects, no doubts were present in the mind of captain Caeli Wright (11).
This year, the cheerleading team secured a successful win engraved into Windsor High School’s history. Wright, cheer team captain, and her team took the State Championship mat at the Denver Coliseum on Dec. 13. Not knowing the outcome, the team took home the state title, the first ever in the school’s history.
With a deep passion for cheer, Wright has been a driving force for the team since she joined her sophomore year of high school. Known for her unwavering commitment, Wright’s leadership is seen not only by the other athletes but also by coaches like Liz Kampschroeder.
“Caeli makes a conscious effort to make others feel included. She is very positive in our team chat and sends out a packing list to everyone before each competition, which I think has created a supportive feeling on the team,” Kampschroeder explained.
Wright’s journey to becoming captain was nothing short of grueling. It called for dedication, work ethic and the unwavering determination to inspire her teammates. From the beginning of the season until the final competition with her team on the mat, the urge to do better and to finish what was started has always been her final goal.
“At the beginning of the season, I made it my goal to meet everyone. It was extremely important to me to learn everyone’s name as soon as possible. I think showing leadership skills and friendship allowed me to achieve my goal as captain,” Wright explained.
When Wright began her journey the summer before her sophomore year, she had no idea what she was to get herself into. Yet, she was eager and ready for the challenge that was right around the corner. Though her last year on the team wasn’t ideal, she welcomed the new year with an open mind and heart.
“Last year on the team, I was completely new to cheerleading …. It was a total fever dream, and I was learning quickly,” Wright stated. “I was soon on the Varsity competition mat, which is a feeling only experienced not explained. We had a new coaching staff, so it was the start of a new cheer team. We have taken off since then.”
Mentally and physically, Wright was tossed about, perfecting herself for none other than her team. Her approach was always about pushing the team to improve while maintaining a sense of unity and trust amongst all members. She put a high standard into place for her teammates to abide by, which helped them receive the amount of success they did.
As her 2023-2024 season came to an end, she set her sights on being one of the leaders like the ones who inspired her in her previous years. This ultimately led her to begin trying to be team captain.
“I desired to be a captain because I wanted to create a team everyone wanted to join. I wanted to be able to take control and mold us into a new team,” Wright said. “My biggest dream is to have a team where everyone is friends, and I feel like we got close to that this season.”
Midway through the season, Wright allowed several athletes to join the team as well as feel welcome. Athletes like Jayden Warnock (11) have worked with Wright in previous years, but were soon drawn back and quickly welcomed.
“She welcomed me on the team by introducing me to everyone that I did not already know and made me feel comfortable to ask her any question that I needed to ask,” Warnock stated.
The state road was far from easy. The early mornings and late nights allowed for blood (quite a bit), sweat and tears that were tiring and defeating.
“It took a lot of hard work to prepare for state. We implemented new upgrades, so it meant a lot to us to make sure we could execute them properly,” Wright said.
When it came time for the state competition, Wright’s leadership shone through even brighter. The competition was more than ever, featuring 23 teams, all of which were fighting for the 4A All-Girl State Championship title. Though under pressure, Wright knew exactly how to guide her team through the pressure.
“Caeli is not a loud leader so she leads by example being prepared for the mat. She can have a loud voice when needed so the way she starts off our routine counting everyone in creates a sense of strong leadership right before the music turns on,” Kampschroeder stated.
Emphasizing teamwork, she continuously reminded her team to stay focused on their routine, trust each other and enjoy the experience as a whole. With the first routine of the day having zero deductions, Wright and her team countlessly awaited the announcement of whether or not finals were something they would endure.
As time passed, the anticipation quickly grew. The announcements were then called, and the last name stated was the Windsor Wizards, estimated to perform at 7:16 p.m. The energy flowing through the team was electric. The screams of excitement rang throughout the entire ?Coliseum. Wright knew they had to put their best into their final performance of the season.
“It was a relief to know that we had made it to the next round. We had so much to be proud of, and it was a tiny victory before our massive victory,” Wright stated.
After all teams performed, every team made their way down to the floor, where placements would be soon announced. The Wizards closely joined each other into a close-knit circle, feeding off of the anticipation each other had. Squeezing each other’s hands, nerves increased as the team’s division was announced.
The runner-up of their division was the first to be announced. With eyes shut and hearts racing, the girls awaited their announcement, not knowing what could come from this competition. The words Lutheran High School rolled off of the announcer’s tongue in a way that heightened senses more than ever. What was to come?
After cheers and support went out to Lutheran, the announcer was back and announced who was to take the state championship title. Tears were streaming down faces and nervous shakes took place. All of the team’s hard work led them to this exact point. The announcer finally got to who won and the crowd exploded. The Windsor High School cheerleaders exploded off of the mat, crying and hugging each other due to their seventh win of the season.
“It was extremely surreal,” Wright said with a smile. “The excitement and adrenaline that runs through your body when you accomplish something like that is incredible. It was filled with so many emotions! We had gotten the result we wanted after such an amazing season. It’s an unexplainable feeling, but it feels amazing to make Windsor High School history and bring the magic back to cheerleading.”
An electrifying year brought the team to this moment. Through many coaches and athletes, the state title has never been claimed throughout the history of WHS. Wright, her team and coaches alike wanted to be the team that changed that.
With the season closing up, Wright reminisces on the year she was able to enjoy with her team. Not only her, but her coaches as well look back upon how much of an impact she has held upon the team as a whole.
“Caeli uses her experiences to seek to improve the climate and culture of our current team …. As a junior, she has worked with the other captains that are seniors to ensure everyone on the team is included, and that the team can feel important and respected,” Kampschroeder explained. “She was chosen by her peers to be one of our captains which is a testament to how others see her as a leader.”
