A part of Lake Wales cheerleading history was senior back spot Jose Buendia. Integral to the cheer stunt, Buendia helped the squad form the ending pyramid.
It was a rewind to hitch then it immediately transitioned into a hand-in-hand front pop to an arabesque, ending with a high-to-high ticks. The move was executed, and the score showed a 17.3 out of 20 at state thanks to practicing that move every day. After all, in regionals, there was a mistake made that dropped the cheer squad low, so practicing perfection was a must.
In the end, Lake Wales had done it Saturday night at the RP Funding Center . And Buendia was a part of a first cheer state title in school history.
“Knowing that we are the first team in school history to win that title is the greatest feeling in the world,” Buendia said. “It was amazing to know that our hard work, late practices, open gyms and dedication finally paid off. We were able to finish what the teams before us started and I feel so lucky to say we made history. I’m extremely grateful and blessed to be able to represent my school at such a high level.”