The Student News Site and Newsletter of John F. Kennedy Memorial High School

The Torch
The Student News Site and Newsletter of John F. Kennedy Memorial High School

The Torch
The Student News Site and Newsletter of John F. Kennedy Memorial High School

The Torch
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JFK Competition Cheer Team wins 2 State Championship Titles Back to Back

The mustang cheerleaders took the win yet again for ‘Game Day’ in the performance division, while also winning the performance division for the first time
Joshua Alencar, Mikayla Dumas, Laila Gray, and Kate McDermid • March 4, 2024
Competition cheerleaders on Saturday posing with their state championship title.
JFK Cheer Instagram
Competition cheerleaders on Saturday posing with their state championship title.

JFKMHS competition cheerleaders competed in the state championship this past Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24-25, at Brookdale Community College, winning both the “Intermediate Cheer Dance” on Saturday and “Game Day” in the Performance Division for the first time on Sunday.

On top of the win, Cheer Captains Mariella Rodriguez and Daniella Pajak made the New Jersey All-State Team as well. 

“It’s bittersweet because I’ll never perform with those people again, but I ended the season with two state titles,” senior Chloe Tu stated when reminiscing about the competition.

Coach Szoke was also sentimental about the win.

“They’ve [seniors] really set up the younger athletes to be more prepared,” Coach Szoke said.

JFK Junior Varsity cheerleaders also took home third place overall in the JV division.

Congratulations to both JV and Varsity for their wins!

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About the Contributors
Mikayla Dumas
Mikayla Dumas is a sophomore at JFKMHS. This is her first year as a contributor to the school’s newspaper, The Torch. She has always had a keen interest in writing but decided on taking journalism during quarantine when doing a personal research project to pass time. As this is her first year in journalism, she hopes the class will assist her growth in the field. Her hobbies include reading, listening to music, scrolling through Pinterest, and hanging out with friends. Mikayla’s motivation comes from her peers and seeing what they’ve accomplished, as well as what her older sister has done academically. Her goals after high school are to attend college and major in journalism. As much as she swears she hates school, she sincerely enjoys it and the atmosphere that it provides.
Laila Gray
Laila Gray is currently a freshman at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School. This is her first year as a contributor to The Torch, the school’s online newspaper. She is a tri-sport athlete and is busy year-round with fall, winter, and spring sports. Being very interested in writing and journalism for years now, she was elated to see that journalism class was an option. English is her favorite subject and Laila wishes to go to college to become a journalist or an attorney and believes this class could spark some more interest. In addition to sports, Laila enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and cooking.
Kate McDermid
Kate McDermid is a sophomore at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School and it’s her first year contributing to the school's online newspaper, The Torch. Kate loves to read and write, and after having Mrs. Prusicki, who runs The Torch, for freshman year for English, decided to take journalism. Kate’s on the varsity soccer and basketball team and has joined Key Club, American Cancer Society and Narrative 4. Outside of school, Kate loves to bake and spend time with her friends and family. Her goals for the future is to get into the University of Miami and specialize in business.