Taya Ragaini made a shift in her athletic endeavors upon entering middle school, and it was a match made on the mat, as she has seen her cheerleading career blossom into burgeoning successes for not only herself but also the East Haven cheerleading team.

The Yellowjackets’ senior cheerleader was originally a dancer from ages 2 until 12. As she arrived in middle school, Taya tried out for the cheerleading squad there with a close friend. From there, it was love at first sight and Taya was off to the races.

After being a part of East Haven’s most successful season that saw the Yellowjackets finish as a runner-up at the SCC Championship last season, Taya performed at an NCAA cheerleading camp and was named an All-American. She then followed that up by being named a Fall SCC Scholar Athlete. Taya now embarks on her fourth and final season with the Yellowjackets on the mat as a senior captain.

“After I tried out for cheerleading in middle school, I was obsessed with it,” says Taya. “I love to perform; there is no better feeling than being on the mat. It really is a team sport, but you have to do your job with stunts.”

Taya details that the prior decade of dance in part prepared her quite well to succeed in her current occupation within athletics–as dancing helped her garner essential elements to make her mark on the mats.

“Dance has really helped me with cheerleading,” Taya says. “There is certainly a dancing aspect to it, so my dance background helped set me apart in my opinion. Having choreography skills and being super flexible from dance really helped me versus if I came into it with no dance experience.”

East Haven’s banner year last winter certainly will always stand out in Taya’s mind, yet it was a personal accolade she earned her rookie season that pleasantly surprised Taya and motivated her to the top with the Yellowjackets.

“Again, cheerleading really is a team sport, so to be successful, you need to have that team chemistry on the mat,” says Taya. “Last season was one of our best years when we finished second at SCCs; I will never forget that day. It was great to accomplish it with such special people and coaches. It was a great memory and experience. In my freshman year, I won the Coaches’ Award for the team, which was a big accomplishment for me due to being only a freshman.”

Spoken like a true scholastic star athlete, Taya takes to heart the fact that she has to study as hard as she performs stunts in order to partake in the Yellowjackets’ festivities while making a homely team atmosphere as captain.

“It is definitely difficult, because you have to academically be on the right path to play,” Taya says on balancing the books. “Good grades are important to me, so I have to put the same effort into my academics as I do with cheerleading. The second I was named captain was a huge accomplishment to me. It was great to be looked at in that way. Being a captain is more than being in charge; it’s about making the younger girls feel comfortable and being someone they can look up to. I am also lucky to be paired with my fellow senior captains.”

East Haven cheerleading Head Coach Tianna Speringo lists several reasons why Taya was a virtual no-brainer for the captain designation decision. She leaves an impact on the Yellowjackets in a multitude of ways, whether in the heat of competition or away from it.

“When naming captains for the season, Taya really stuck out to me because of her determination and amazing leadership skills. Her love for her sport, peers, and team is truly unmatched,” says Speringo. “Taya is an exceptional athlete and shows great levels of energy on and off the mat. She is a role model for not only her team, but also her peers at school. Whether we are at practice, games, or competition, Taya always gives 110 percent. She truly is a staple to not only her team, but to the East Haven community. Taya plays a huge role on our team. She is a base and a tumbler. She is always willing to help out everyone and motivate the team. With competition season approaching us, I know that Taya will lead the team to success.”

In pondering how she wants to produce and impact East Haven entering her final foray, Taya proclaims that she and the Yellowjackets want to keep climbing after last season’s landmark results in addition to attaining higher solo targets.

“We want to keep up the success we had last year. We had the best season East Haven had ever seen, so to keep that up would be great. Personally, I would like to make All-State Team, which would be awesome. I also want to be a good captain and help keep the same team chemistry we had last year going. Deciding to join cheer was the best decision I made in my life. The past four years have been great. It was awful to have one year taken away from us due to COVID, but it taught me not to take things for granted. I have learned that I have to just keep going and be a good teammate.”