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05/14/2020 12:00 AMFor four years, Alexis Votto waited for her opportunity to compete with the North Haven cheerleading team at the Class L State Championship. Alexis finally got that opportunity as a senior, and she certainly made the most of it.
Alexis has been a cheerleader since she was in 4th grade. In her first season with the Indians, she suffered a concussion and was unable to participate in the state meet. As she worked her way back in her sophomore year, Alexis did so at the JV level and had to keep waiting to take the stage at states. As a junior, Alexis was sidelined once again, this time with injuries to both of her ankles.
However, all of Alexis’s patience finally paid off during the recent season, when the senior captain returned to the mat to compete with her fellow Indians at the backspot position. On March 7, Alexis achieved her dream by joining her teammates when North Haven competed at the Class L State Championship. Alexis helped the Indians take second place after delivering what Head Coach Kathleen Crisafi called a perfect performance.
“It was amazing. I loved every second of it,” says Alexis of competing at states. “The moment before you get on the mat is a rush of adrenaline, and you know it’s a make-or-break moment. I was super nervous. I just wanted to make my team proud and do well for myself. I wanted everyone to be happy. I didn’t want to be a reason that the performance didn’t go perfectly. Once we got off the mat, we all started crying. It was amazing. We couldn’t have done better.”
After competing on JV as a sophomore, Alexis was excited to get back in action and contribute to the varsity team in her junior campaign. Unfortunately, Alexis sprained her right ankle early in the season and then suffered a broken left ankle just one week before the state meet.
Despite her injuries, Alexis continued to support the team. Although she couldn’t be out there with them, Alexis wanted to see the Indians succeed. Alexis was proud when North Haven finished in first place at last year’s Class L State Championship meet.
“I just had to be really supportive of everyone, try and teach my replacement everything I had to do, and just encourage everyone and make sure everyone was on the same page and motivated to win states,” Alexis says. “We ended up winning states, which was great. Even though I wasn’t on the mat, I was really happy for everyone who was.”
While she was happy that North Haven claimed state gold, Alexis still felt bittersweet about having to watch her team compete from the sidelines throughout the season.
“It was difficult seeing everyone on the mat and not being able to do it,” says Alexis. “Seeing my team go through troubles was tough. I wanted to be out there and do all the things I was able to do. I wanted to be with my team.”
As Alexis entered her senior season, she was named one of North Haven’s captains with fellow seniors Alyssa Cannavaciolo and Sophie Kornacki. Every senior on this year’s team went out for captaincy, and Alexis was nervous prior to finding out that she had been elected. Ultimately, Alexis loved holding the captain’s role and says that serving as one of the team’s leaders taught her a lot about how to manage responsibility.
Coach Crisafi was impressed with how Alexis led the squad, as well as her ability to stay positive while dealing with numerous injuries. Crisafi says that Alexis never complained and always stayed focused on doing whatever she could to benefit the Indians.
“When it came to her senior year, it was clear to us that Alexis was a captain’s material person. Her main focus was always the team,” says Crisafi. “Alexis would always come to practice and work hard. She would improve herself and help others improve. She is an athlete that brings non-concrete things—the character, the work ethic. Those are things that you can’t teach a kid how to do, and those are the things she brought to the table.”
Alexis would like to cheer at the collegiate level after she graduates from high school. She is planning on attending the University of New Haven to major in dental hygiene.
As she looks back at her time at North Haven, Alexis takes pride in the fact that she overcame numerous hurdles during her journey to the varsity floor. It means a lot to Alexis that she finished her high school career alongside her teammates at states. Alexis will always appreciate that experience, along with the overall impact that cheerleading has had on her life.
“I think cheerleading is an amazing sport. People don’t always understand how difficult it could be,” Alexis says. “You’re putting your trust into everyone on the team and hoping that you can achieve the things you hope to do. Cheerleading just teaches you how to love the sport and how to trust others.”