GUILDERLAND — The screams of joy were so loud that no one could hear their name being called.

All the Guilderland cheerleading team needed to hear to set them off was the name of the second-place finisher being announced — and they knew the national championship was theirs.

The Guilderland team had just won the large co-ed level-five division, and were named national cheerleading champions in the Milk House arena at The Walt Disney World Resort’s Wild World of Sports.

The Dutch beat out Enterprise High School of Alabama to win the championship.
"It was the best feeling," said Adam Forte, a senior captain of the squad. "The feeling was so overwhelming. A shock went through my body when I heard Enterprise called. I wanted it so bad. I worked hard and the other seniors tried to push it so everybody wanted the same thing."
"It’s ridiculously amazing," said Jessie Layton, another senior captain. "I didn’t know what to do. Everybody was jumping and screaming. It was so exciting."
"We sat in a circle on the mat, waiting to hear," Guilderland Coach Patty Palmer said. "And as the announcer was saying ‘Second place, large co-ed level five,’ all I kept thinking was, ‘I don’t want to hear the ‘G’’ and then, when I heard Enterprise from Alabama, after that it was total chaos. I didn’t even hear them say, ‘National champions, Guilderland.’ I’ll have to watch the video."

It was also an accomplishment for the state.
"We were the first New York team ever to win," said Palmer. "It’s mostly southern or mid-western teams that usually win. I had other coaches come up to me and tell me it was nice to see a New York team win. There were other teams from New York there, mostly from the Rochester and Long Island regions. Poughkeepsie had a couple of schools there."

The competition was split this year into the different levels, which Palmer said made it hard.
"They split it into level three, four, and five with five being the hardest," the coach said. "They were all teams that had beaten us. We felt the pressure going there. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t sure what everyone was bringing back."

The levels were split by competitiveness and past accomplishments. It was the fourth trip to Disney for Guilderland; they had a couple of second-place finishes before.

The Guilderland team arrived in Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and stayed until Monday. When the team members returned to the Albany International Airport, they were greeted by parents and supporters.
"We had a great homecoming at the airport," Palmer said. "We had a good number of people witness it. We had our cheering section. At the competition, it’s hard to capture the crowd because nobody knows anyone. You can feel the judges breathing down your neck. To capture the crowd is always a great triumph."

Capturing the crowd also helps ease the tension the teams feel while they’re in the spotlight.
"It definitely is an intense atmosphere," Palmer said. "It’s dark except for the floor where the team is standing and the little desk lamps where the judges are sitting.
"I felt nervous," Palmer added. "My knees were knocking when I went to play the music. I definitely felt the pressure."

A championship team

The team had four captains and 10 seniors in all.

Forte and Layton were joined as captains by Nancy DeLeon and Matt Rimmer.

Jess Falvo, Erica Roth, Austin Elliot, Chris Wolfe, Tonya Loveday, and J.T. Terry were the other seniors on the team.
"We have 10 seniors and last year we lost 12," Palmer said. "Jessie’s been with me for three years and Adam and Matt have been on the varsity for two years."

The team has always had success recruiting boys; this year there were nine.
"It is the most I’ve ever had," Palmer said. "There were 12 at tryouts; it was a big surprise. I knew I had three coming out — two returners and one I knew was going to come out in the summer."

The guys on the team this year are all juniors — R.J. Wolfe, Chase Wolfe, D.J. Johnson, and Nick Zanotta most of the other girls on the team are juniors — Sarah Denniston, Sara Merrill, Katie Moran, Katie Irish, Amanda Heacock, Randi Gemmetti, Rachel Crowder, Amy Nagy, Noel Quagleri. Jacquline Howland is the only sophomore.

Palmer and the captains said the seniors pushed the underclassmen to excel as they got ready to go to Florida.
"We had only five people returning and some people up from junior varsity," Layton said.
"You never know about some of the guys," Forte said. "But they had a lot of fun and got more relaxed."
"After the first competition," Layton added, "all of it just clicked. Especially with the guys."

Forte said that he feels blasé until the first competition.
"All the games, the guys don’t like it," Forte said. "The games are boring and, when you get to a competiton I’m like ‘This is why I do it.’ As a returner, it’s like, ‘Oh, here we go,’ until you get to that first competition. You get that competitiveness back."

The team was also working on new routines and adding new dynamics to their routine.
"We did the best we could to prepare," Palmer said. "We stepped up our tumbling. We did not ever have that before. That help push us over the edge."

Palmer knew she had to add tumbling if the Dutch were to compete with the other teams nationally.
"We needed to do more stunting and tumbling," Palmer said. "They do it in the South and it is something we struggled with."
"We did some advanced tumbling," Forte said. "And that really brought up our routine and put us on the next level."
"The North is known more for stunting," Layton said. "At local competitions, that is all the difference. Tumbling is more important in the South."

Palmer was not sure what to expect as the team was heading to Disney.
"Ever year, the kids keep asking how we’ll do," Palmer said. "I can’t predict the competition and I didn’t want to give them false hope. And, when they called fourth place and then third place, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was thinking second is amazing."
"I talked with Patty about how to keep everybody calm when the spotlight hit," Forte said. "It’s definitely a little intimidating when the spotlight hits."
"Our strategy is to have more fun," Layton said. "It shows that we like our routine. And that helps the judges like it a little more."

Finding funds

The team had to raise all the money for the trip on its own and did not get any money from the Guilderland School District.

Each member of the team had to raise $850 .
"The school helped us by letting us hold an extra competition," Palmer said. "We made some money there and we had our youth clinic and that was a good one for us. We had a good turnout. Last year, it snowed."

The team members also went to businesses in the community to ask for donations.
"We fund-raised throughout the season," Palmer said. "Everybody reached their goal."

The team had to raise more money than in previous years because it had to stay an extra day.

The Dutch returned from Florida and had to compete in the Suburban Council meet and were named the Grand Champions.
"The pressure was on," Palmer said. "Every year, we win our group but we haven’t been named grand champions the last couple of years. We expected it this year after our great win in Florida."

The season ends this weekend at the Northeast Regionals.
"It is always hard for the season to end," Palmer said.

But the win in Florida will go a long way in the coach’s and cheerleaders’ memories. After a couple of weeks, they all continue to wear their championship jackets.
"This definitely gives us a little more respect," Forte said.
"This shows that we are capable of doing great things," Layton said. "It’s a source of pride for us and the school."

It will be a long time before the shine of winning the championship wears off.
"I’ve never smiled so big in my life," Layton said. "For three years, I’ve done everything I could to try and win this. I cannot smile any wider."
"The Guilderland team means a lot to me," said Palmer, who also coaches the team at the University at Albany. "To me, the program is great every year. I would not give them up for anything. To capture the title is a dream come true."