Golden ticket: Eaglecrest High School’s formula for success as Junior Hip Hop world champs

Throughout the month of July, CHSAA is going to look back on various accomplishments throughout the 2022-23 academic year before turning the page ahead to start looking to 2023-24. During the Spirit State Championships in December, CHSAA crowned three first-time champions – SkyView Academy in 2A Poms, Vista Ridge in 5A Co-Ed Cheer and Woodland Park in 3A All-Girl Cheer – while Eaglecrest continued its dominance. The Raptors have set the standard for spirit in the state with 14 all-time championships after winning their third hip-hop state title this year. Eaglecrest, competing as Team USA, followed up their state title by winning a gold medal at the International Cheer Union World Championships in Orlando, Florida in late April. 
 

It’s late April, and a hush fell over the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The American flag is projected against the arena’s backdrop as the Star Spangled Banner begins playing.

The Eaglecrest High School Raptors stand alone at the top of the podium as the International Cheer Union’s Junior Hip Hop champions.

“Seeing our kids represent their country against others who are truly the best in the world was really emotional,” said Cayla Warneke, Head Coach of the Aurora school’s Varsity Dance Team. “It felt like it was just the 25 of us living in the moment and appreciating our core Eaglecrest Dance team family.”

Bringing the gold home for Team USA was certainly a historical moment for the squad – and for Colorado athletics as a whole. But for Warneke, it’s the inevitable outcome of a winning formula for success

“We try to keep pushing the envelope and taking risks,” she said. “Sometimes it doesn’t always work out, but we keep building on what we’ve done before, a day at a time.”

The winning plan began last summer by compiling a video for consideration. Not dissimilar to other elite-level athletics, they dissected and developed components, continually polishing it. After an intense application process in October, the team was selected as the sole American representative and began working with the national USA Cheer team, elevating their routine even more.

This attention to detail paid off, resulting in a CHSAA State Championship in December – the third in four years. A 5th place finish in February’s national competition was even sweeter for Warneke, whose sister, as head coach at Arapahoe High School, helped her own team bring home the gold in cheer.

The Raptors’ success isn’t by accident – rather, a combination of envelope-pushing and building upon the program’s legacy. The culture of relentless high expectations and requisite support combines to build a high-flying program that extends beyond competition.

“We work hard to build a family environment where our kids know they are loved and respected outside of just being athletes and dancers,” Warneke said. “Our goal is for our students to have confidence and mental strength to achieve their goals in life. I know that’s something they can carry with them past their four years at Eaglecrest.”

Central to this is “finding your village to coach with.” Among the countless supporters, Warneke specifically credited Eaglecrest Assistant Coach Mistelle Comeau-Jimenz and Philadelphia-based choreographer Rachel Reese.

Now in her 10th year as coach, Warneke is eager to continue building the program and family she’s helped cultivate over the past decade. Tryouts are underway for next season’s squad. And though she’d love to get back and defend the title, the assignment is simple: Just be better than the day before.

That granular, focused relentlessness is what got the Raptors to Orlando and the podium in the first place. Beyond competition, however, one of the highlights of the championship was a cultural exchange with other teams from around the globe: South and Central American squads performed to Bad Bunny tracks while Thailand and Japanese routines incorporated traditional costumes. Students practiced their French and Spanish, laughing and united by a common passion.

“It was a life-changing experience in so many ways,” Warneke said. “Our athletes got an incredible representation of culture and heritage and now have international connections; we walked away inspired to see the world.

“It was truly a moment that transcended sport.”