Norwalk caps banner year with state title

SUNBURY — The drama this time around was a different kind. Two years ago, the Norwalk competition cheer team endured a judges' snafu that saw them receive state gold medals, only to have them taken away. Last year, there was some confusion in announcing the awards, and the Truckers were initially skipped over before taking first place. But this season, the drama was just getting Norwalk to the 34th-annual OASSA state championships Saturday at Big Walnut High School. However, the reasons involved were not negative. Far from it, in fact. Because the Truckers competed at the UCA National Championships in Orlando, Florida, in early February, they were unable to compete in their assigned OASSA regional tournament. The only in-person option for Norwalk would have been the Southwest regional, which took place at Preble Shawnee High School, more than 3.5 hours from Norwalk, west of Dayton. "We requested to do a virtual regional performance," Norwalk coach Malorie Kocher said. With a letter from Norwalk High School athletic director Josh Schlotterer stating the cheer team could not make the far trip, the OASSA accepted the request of Norwalk's performance from a Firelands High School cheer competition in December. Norwalk was accepted into the Division III field and again didn't come home empty-handed. The Truckers again won the state championship in the game day non-building category and took second in non-building (traditional) and non-tumbling/non-building. "It felt great to come home with another trophy," Norwalk senior Cory Stewart said. "But I've definitely come back with a lot more than trophies with all the friendships I've made by joining cheer. "There was so much pressure in that moment and being in our circle when they announced the winners," he added. "And today there was a lot of competition we had not faced throughout the season. But we were pretty confident." Kocher said at the start of the season, the team sits down and checks off the goals on a poster that were accomplished from the previous year. Then a new poster with new goals is posted. The coaches let the athletes set about 10 to 15 team goals and three or four individual goals. "It's been one heck of a year, and this is a team that came in with some really big goals at the start of the season," she said. "Going to Nationals was one of them. At our last practice on Thursday, (assistant coach) Madison (Shutt) went through with the kids all the personal goals that they achieved. "And our last team goal that we needed to achieve on that list was to win a state championship once again, and they did that today." Stewart is among five seniors, including Kaylen and Jaylen Pfeiffer, Morgan Ritter, and Amber Summerland. He admitted Saturday was bittersweet, knowing it was over but that cheer has changed his life. Stewart earned an NCAA Division I scholarship through cheer at Bowling Green State University next year. "It's shaped who I am and my future," he said. "It's changed my life both in the present and beyond. All my friends are from cheer. They are the ones I went through high school with, and I wouldn't have them without joining this program." Kocher admitted that Norwalk originally wasn't going to attend the state competition or make a hard push to be included. The team placed second in traditional and 10th in game day at the UCA Division II National High School cheerleading competition at Walt Disney World on Jan. 30 through Feb. 1. "But this group is really special, and we decided we weren't quite ready to say goodbye to each other yet and decided to do it," she said. "Then they went out as well as they possibly could have. I do wish it would have been a little better for us. I do think they deserved a little more than how it ended here, but they are incredible." "They were second in the nation; they were almost undefeated during the season in both categories this year, and they have state gold medals from today for the most winning season we've ever had," Kocher added. "And with that, we had Cory committing to a Division I college, and we have some other kids being looked at for STUNT. They get to go on and be one of the more successful classes for cheer in college as well as high school." Two days before the state competition, it was announced that the OASSA and the Ohio High School Athletic Association will partner up to recognize the annual OASSA state championships as the official cheerleading state championship for Ohio. In the press release, OHSAA executive director Doug Ute stated the organization is looking to add competition cheer as an official sport. Kocher said cheer "absolutely deserves" to be an official OHSAA sport. "Obviously, there are pros and cons to everything in life, because right now we get to get away with some benefits to not being an official sport and being a club, so to speak," she said. "We then may run into limited times we are allowed to be with our athletes or not have an extended season. "But whatever will get them the credit they deserve, because they are in the gym just as many hours as other teams. They are out here winning competitions and winning states and putting in just as much work, if not more. So, however or whatever it takes, I support it, and, hopefully, it unifies Ohio."