The high school varsity co-ed and the girls junior varsity (JV) cheerleading teams competed in the Bay State League Competition at Newton North High School on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

In the competition, the Warriors competed against more than a dozen other teams from towns all over Massachusetts. Milton took home the first place trophy in the co-ed division and Framingham won in the all-girls league that JV competed in.

Prior to the competition, the cheerleaders on both the varsity and JV team put in long hours to make sure their performance was as successful as possible. Before the competition, varsity co-captain and junior Erika Garrido said that these practices have been essential in helping them train for the competition.

“I feel ready and that we’ve prepared enough. Everyone knows their counts. Everyone knows where they’re supposed to be. It’s just a matter of what we put on the field,” Garrido said.

While many of the athletes said they felt the stress of the competition before performing their routine, junior Sami Nunez said she was excited about the opportunity to compete.

“Since I was little, this was my dream. In my country, we didn’t really have opportunities to do as many sports as here. It was a great opportunity,” Nunez said. “I used to tell my mom, ‘Mommy, look, I’m going to be one of those [cheerleaders]’ every time I watched the TV.’”

The cheerleaders’ nerves were barely visible during their performance. Each routine had four components: a cheer part, a stunting part, a dance section and a jump section. The JV team performed to a mashup of “It’s About Damn Time” by Lizzo and “Do It To It” by Acraze and Cherish. The team had a bright smile the whole routine and their enthusiasm got the large crowd cheering. The varsity team also gave a synchronized performance with backbends, somersaults, dancing and holding people in the air.

After the performances, one cheerleader from each school was given an honorable mention. Brookline’s honorable mention went to senior Sophie Dole, who said she has developed a lot since she started cheer.

“[Cheerleading] has helped me gain a lot of confidence and grow as a person and a leader. When I started off as a freshman, I was really shy and kind of insecure, but I’ve grown confident enough to be captain,” Dole said. “I really like how cheerleading brings people together and lets people grow.”

Garrido was awarded All Conference All-Star, which is also awarded to one cheerleader from each town. Garrido said that when she performs she doesn’t think about the audience.

“As soon as the music turns on, I just kind of black out. My parents sometimes come, and I don’t even see them. When the music starts, you forget everything around you and just do what you remember,” Garrido said.

Though the teams will not be moving on to regionals, freshman and varsity cheerleader Kerisa Ramirez said that the performance was an important moment for cheer to be in the spotlight instead of on the sidelines supporting the football team.

“The games are more for the football players,” Ramirez said. “Competitions are more for us as a team.”

The scores to the competition are not publicly available.