Sophomore Nevaeh Fortner, front center, jumps with her Wiesbaden teammates during their cheer routine at the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. Wiesbaden was crowned Division I team champions for the fourth straight year. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany — A packed house filled the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Friday night as the crowd chanted, “four-peat, four-peat, four-peat,” just before the DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships kicked off. Fans were eager to see Wiesbaden’s cheer squad clinch its fourth consecutive Division I title — and the home team delivered.
“It feels absolutely incredible,” Wiesbaden captain and senior Imani Coley said after the trophies were handed out.
Despite the team’s dominance, Coley said they didn’t see themselves as clear favorites ahead of this year’s competition, especially with only four returning members from last year’s 12-person squad. With seven seniors graduating, next year’s team will largely consist of fresh faces.
“It’s about working as hard as you can, but also creating a heart and a soul, creating a family,” said Coley, who has cheered for Wiesbaden since her freshman year.
Wiesbaden coach Jamie Cook acknowledged that fluctuating team rosters are a challenge for all military schools, making any success at the event a testament to hard work.
Having a group that likes to show off also helps, she added.
“My team does really, really well in front of a crowd,” Cook said. “You put them in front of people, and they just turn on — they sparkle.”
When asked if she was the key to the team’s winning streak, Cook was quick to credit her cheerleaders instead.
“It’s not mostly me,” she said. “I give them perspective, work ethic, and guidance, but they’re the ones who do it all. Right before [the competition] starts, I tell them, ‘It’s out of my hands, it’s all on you.’”
Simona Defau, a junior at the American Overseas School of Rome, shows spirit during the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Girls from Sigonella High School cheer with pompoms at the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Chadwik Berrey, a junior at Stuttgart, flies in the air during the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Sophomore Jasmine Estoesta, left, and junior Julia Gruny are thrown into the air during Sigonella’s cheer routine at the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Senior Gabriel Rodriguez, center, helps support an Alconbury teammate during the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. Alconbury High School were named Division III team champions. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
In the Division II competition, Rota took the top spot, edging out Naples in second place and Vicenza in third. The win marked a dramatic rise for Rota, which finished third last year and failed to place in 2023.
“We were just hoping to finish above third this year, so this feels great,” said team captain and senior Olivia Bussey, adding that the team had been practicing six days a week.
“I’ve been with the team for years, and I’m so happy we get to end the season with a win,” she said.
After two years of finishing second in Division III, Alconbury claimed the 2025 Division III championship.
“The feeling of winning… I can’t even describe it. I’m shaking,” senior captain Mia Valenzuela said.
When asked how the team pulled off the victory, fellow senior captain Micaela Fromm replied, “Blood, sweat, and tears — and a lot of yelling.”
Alconbury was also named 2025 Division III game day champions. In addition to the team championship titles, which are determined by routines performed at the competition, separate game day titles recognize teams for their performances at basketball games throughout the season. The other game day champions were Naples in Division II and Vilseck in Division I.
Freshman Nyla Cortes is held up by fellow Rota cheerleaders during their routine at the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. The team from Rota High School in Spain were crowned Division II champions. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Riley Brewington, a sophomore at Vicenza, shows spirit during the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Cheerleaders from Ramstein compete for the Division I title at the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Makael Robinson, a senior at Kaiserslautern, takes a breath in between stunts during the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Cheerleaders from DODEA schools across Europe prepare for the winners of the 2025 DODEA-Europe cheerleading championships to be announced at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden cheerleaders react to being named Division I team championships for the fourth-straight year at Clay Kaserne, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
DIVISION I
Team
1. Wiesbaden 2. Stuttgart 3. Kaiserslautern
Game-day winner: Vilseck
All-Tournament: Zenobia David, Lillian Griffin – Kaiserslautern; James Ratkovski – Lakenheath; Idaly Lozano – Ramstein; Shaely McMullen – SHAPE; Giyada Guico – Vilseck; Hailey Stelker – Wiesbaden; Brooklyn Hogan – Stuttgart
DIVISION II
Team
1. Rota 2. Naples 3. Vicenza
Game-day winner: Naples
All-Tournament: Aine Bolger, Domitila Di Bartolomei – AOSR ; Danielle Bean, Annika Haas – Aviano ; Marin Storey – Naples ; Lillie Stockton, Olivia Bussey – Rota; Ayanna Murray – Vicenza
DIVISION III
Team
1. Alconbury 2. AFNORTH 3. Hohenfels
Game-day winner: Alconbury
All-Tournament: Solina Moreno – AFNORTH; Micaela Fromm, Mia Valenzuela – Alconbury; Aziz Kurt, Valeria Parodi – Baumholder; Kelcey Smith, Kenya Tucker – Hohenfels; Salma Stevenson – Spangdahlem
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Publish date : 2025-02-15 14:51:00
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