They’re Unstoppable!

by Jeannine Gage

Lake Mary High School has once again dominated in the dance and cheerleading worlds, with big wins this year by both teams. 

For a record-breaking 10th year in a row, the varsity cheerleading squad took home a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) State Championship. Likewise, the Marionettes dance team won a national title through Dance Team Union (DTU), one of the largest competitive dance team organizations in the country.

Let’s take a closer look at the recent wins by both of these incredible teams:

Lake Mary Cheerleaders Will Tumble 4 Ya

The cheerleaders at Lake Mary High School have always exemplified excellence. But this year, they went beyond excellence to a record-breaking achievement. The team captured its 10th consecutive Class 2A tumbling title through the FHSAA, a milestone that cements the program as a Florida powerhouse. 

The win also marks the end of an era, as this is Coach Paige Black’s last year at Lake Mary.

“I feel incredibly proud and honored,” she says. “It’s been a blessing to coach such amazing athletes who work so hard, support one another, and represent our program                          with excellence.”

Because Lake Mary competes in a tumbling division known for its depth and difficulty, this year’s championship was anything but guaranteed – despite the girls’ past success. With nine consecutive titles behind them, the pressure was on.

“No one wants to be the team that breaks the streak,” says Paige. “And with this being my last year coaching at Lake Mary, there was even more emotion behind it.”

Stand and Deliver

The girls’ fiercest competitor delivered a near-flawless routine just moments before Lake Mary took the floor. The team could not get a single deduction on its routine, or it  would risk surrendering the title.

 “We knew we had to deliver,” says Paige. “And the girls rose to the moment and did exactly that.”

This was also the first time a team has won the tumbling title 10 years in a row, making the victory even more special for the cheerleaders and coaching staff.

Senior co-captain Brielle Coggin, a member of the varsity squad all four years, felt the pressure but also the support.

“Honestly, our team worked so hard throughout the whole season,” says Brielle. “Each year the bond has gotten stronger and stronger. This team really wanted it. We took pride in the idea of a decade of winning states, and we had so much fun with it.”

Their Secret to Success

That joy, even amid the pressure, has been central to Lake Mary’s sustained success. Paige attributes their winning streak to three key factors: mindset, staff, and culture.

“Every practice, they were intentional about improving – even just one percent better than the day before,” she says. “And I’ve had incredible assistant coaches and staff. When you combine everyone’s gifts and expertise, it creates the best environment  for success.”

Paige’s coaching philosophy goes far beyond perfecting stunts and tumbling passes. Just as important is a culture built on encouragement, accountability, and faith in one another. 

“Talent alone doesn’t win championships – teamwork does,” she says. “We work hard to create a family atmosphere where they love and encourage each other, celebrate new skills, and lift each other up through challenges.”

A New Routine

Paige began her coaching career in 1993 at a high school in Alabama and has coached on and off most of her life. For the past 11 years, she has led Lake Mary’s varsity squad to greatness. Yet she feels the time is right to make a change.

“I will always bleed red and black and have loved coaching here,” says Paige. “But I’m entering a new season of life. I hope to travel more and spend extra time with family.”

Her farewell at the end of the school year will be bittersweet. 

“These girls feel like my own kids,” says Paige. “I’ll miss them and the sport deeply, but I know I’ll never fully step away. I’ll always be cheering them on and popping in to check on my   Lake Mary family.”

Lake Mary Marionettes Have Dance Fever

For 21 years, Stephanie Kersten has poured her heart into the Lake Mary High School Marionettes, and the results – dozens of national titles in multiple dance genres – prove she has done it right. But for Stephanie, it’s never been just about the trophies.

“I always tell them there’s never a wrong time to choose love,” she says. “You’ve got to love what you do, but you’ve also got to love who you do it with.”

That philosophy has helped shape one of Florida’s most respected high school dance programs – one that continues to evolve within the competitive dance world.

The Marionettes compete through Dance Team Union, one of the largest and most prestigious dance competitions in the country, drawing more than 200 teams annually. Unlike cheerleading, dance in Florida is not sanctioned as a state sport through the FHSAA, so teams pursue national titles through independent organizations like DTU.

They’ve Got Spirit, Yes They Do!

This year’s varsity team won a national championship in the DTU Spirit Showdown-Game Day category and came in second in Team Performance. The junior varsity team placed second in Game Day, Rally, and Team Performance and third place in Hip Hop.

While some schools specialize in certain genres of dance, the Marionettes are so well-rounded that they’ve won national titles in every category offered.

“That’s what makes Lake Mary different,” says Stephanie proudly.

A Family Affair 

Dance isn’t just Stephanie’s profession, it’s a family tradition. Her parents, John and Kathy Kersten, started the color guard program at Lake Mary in the mid-1980s and also owned a local dance and gymnastics studio.

Stephanie graduated from Apopka High School but grew up immersed in the Lake Mary community and began coaching at Lake Mary High School in 2005. What made this year’s DTU competition even more special for Stephanie was the fact that both of her daughters – former Marionettes themselves – helped choreograph this year’s  routines.

“The team truly is a family,” says Stephanie.

Senior captain Ava Grosso, a varsity dancer all four years, was thrilled with this year’s national championship win.

“It feels really great knowing that all of this hard work got the result we wanted,” says Ava. “Winning isn’t what it’s all about – it’s about the team – but bringing that title home meant so much.”

A Role Model for Life 

Ava credits Coach K, as Stephanie is known, not only for pushing the team technically, but for teaching important life lessons that extend beyond the dance floor.

“She teaches us that it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s how you react after that matters,” says Ava, who plans to study elementary education at the University of Central Florida.

“Coach K showed me what it means to be caring and understanding,” says Ava. “That’s why I want to become an educator.”