Flipping with joy: Lake Wales' Jose Buendia helps Lake Wales win first state cheer title
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.”
The sophomore native from Texas journeyed from The Lonestar State in 2020. He went to Frostproof and discovered he liked cheer, so he would go on to transfer to Lake Wales in spring of 2022 to have the opportunity to cheer.
“This has made me appreciate the opportunity I was given more and always worked my aboulste hardest to be the best I can be at whatever I’m doing,” Buendia said.
Once he started cheering, there was one thing that was clear: he was inspired by his coaches, including Lake Wales head coach Brandi Kehres.
“Every time I come to practice they push me me to be the best athlete I can be and believe in me when I don’t,” Buendia said. “ They deserve this title and many more because they do so much for every person on the team. These coaches have taught me valuable life lessons and have made me into the person I am today, and that’s bigger than any title I could ever win.”
Still, Lake Wales did win the title, and they performed at a high level up until the final routine on a historic night.
“Heading into our final routine, energy was high, (and) our goal was to work as a team, give it all we had and leave everything on the mat,” Kehres said. “These athletes greatly exceeded our expectations, taking the floor with confidence, energy and a ton of heart we made it count.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Highlanders' Buendia helps Lake Wales win first-ever cheer state title
