It’s been nearly two years since the Hand cheerleading program hoisted its illustrious Class L state championship banner and competed in a significant competition. Head Coach Licia Ciotti vividly remembers her Tigers’ squad taking home the state crown in March of 2020, after which the entire world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic just a few days later.

On Feb. 5, Hand got its first chance to shine in the postseason spotlight in two years when the team competed in the SCC Championship at East Haven High School. The Tigers came away with the conference title by earning a first-place finish among the 12 teams that participated at the meet.

“It was a hard day for everybody, because we haven’t competed in two years. For a lot of the teams competing, it was their first competition this year,” Coach Ciotti said. “Fortunately for us, we already had one previous meet, were able to work some kinks out, and I think that really benefited us.”

Hand finished with a team score of 87.50 points on its way to claiming the SCC title. East Haven finished in second place with a score of 82.95. The top five was rounded out by Shelton (82.35), North Haven (80.05), and Lyman Hall (76.65).

“Judging can be so subjective, so you really never know how your team did until the judge’s scores come out,” said Ciotti. “We only have seven athletes on the team this year, so we only have one stunt group. If that stunt group failed at any point during the competition, there is no chance that we could have won. All of these girls really pulled together for each other, and it was an amazing team win.”

On top of the conference title, Ciotti was named the SCC Coach of the Year for the first time in her 30-year career as a cheer coach. Junior Reegan O’Dea and freshman Mia Scott were named to the All-SCC Team on behalf of Coach Ciotti’s squad.

“For me, it’s quite a compliment. I feel like the 30 years that I put into coaching has been recognized. As you work harder, you see the success start to come through and pay off,” Ciotti said. “I also can’t say enough about our two girls that made All-Conference. Reegan and Mia worked really hard for us at this competition, and the judges definitely noticed.”

Along with O’Dea and Scott, Hand’s roster features senior captain Ali Ciotti, junior Audrey Anselmo, and freshmen Abby Kustra, Allison Mulhern, and Katelyn Zagami. Juniors Cali Anselmo and Alainna McDowall, who have been dealing with injuries, are also members of the team. Ciotti is assisted by coaches Michelle O’Dea and Sydney Sutcliffe this season.

Coach Ciotti praised her athletes for preserving through two years of uncertainties amidst the pandemic, noting that her daughter Ali has done a solid job of leading the charge as a captain.

“During the summer, after not having competed for two years, we entered practice not knowing what to expect. I knew we were going to be a young, inexperienced group, but we had a lot of work to do,” said Ciotti. “We worked on basic stunts and routines all the way up into the fall, before we started working on more difficult routines. I think Ali did a great job of leading these girls and giving them the motivation to believe that they can do anything they put their minds to, and they did exactly that at the SCC Tournament.”

Coach Ciotti knew that the Tigers were trending in the right direction after they participated in a Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) camp last October.

“I felt the team really starting to come together after we finished at UCAs,” Ciotti said. “Granted, we competed against a lot of other beginning programs there, but we did a great job, and that really gave these girls their confidence.”

Next up for Hand is a competition at Oxford High School on Saturday, Feb. 26, after which the State Championship meet will take place on Saturday, March 5.

“It’s like starting over after every competition. We want to look for ways to refine our performance and get better, so that we can deliver an even stronger performance once we get to states,” said Coach Ciotti. “These girls have the talent. They just have to believe in themselves.”