AURORA – Just two short years ago, Arrupe Jesuit High School didn’t have a spirit program or a state championship in any sport or activity from the Colorado High School Activities Association.
Now, Arrupe Jesuit has both, thanks, in part, to spirit head coach Mandi Lopez.
Coach Lopez helped launch the spirit program at Arrupe Jesuit, and, in the program’s very first season, coached the Generals all the way to a Game Day Cheer State Championship for Class 2A/3A, which served as the school’s first-ever state title in its 20 years of existence.
“The state championship definitely was a surprise, especially for my athletes” Coach Lopez shared. “They had no idea what to expect in a regular cheer season, let alone a championship season. They experienced their first tryout, first cheer uniform, first time cheering at a game, choreography, competition and a championship all in their first year. They did not expect to win Arrupe’s first-ever state champion trophy.”
Nevertheless, that’s exactly what they did, notching a 92.95 in the state championship finals to take home the gold.
Winning a state championship with such an exceptionally young program is a marvelous achievement in and of itself, but making it even more impressive is the fact that Mandi Lopez has now done it twice.
Although it wasn’t the program’s first-ever season, Coach Lopez helped guide Bishop Machebeuf to its first-ever Game Day Cheer title in just its third year of competition, after notching runner-up finishes in the program’s first two seasons.
Following the birth of her first child in 2022, Coach Lopez took a break from coaching. She then returned in in 2023, when she joined Thomas McCarty, the athletic director who she worked for during her time at Bishop Machebeuf, at Arrupe Jesuit.
“I was all-in and ready to start [coaching] again,” Coach Lopez recalled. “I toured the school and had a pre-tryout meeting with the athletes. In May, I had a very successful first round of tryouts with about 30 candidates, and from there, we created Arrupe Jesuit’s first-ever cheer team. I immediately recognized the potential and strong work ethic from this group of students. I knew right away that God had brought me to Arrupe and that our cheer season was going to be special.”
So far, Coach Lopez looks to be more reliable than a Grecian oracle.
“My experience at last year’s state championships was honestly unforgettable,” sophomore student-athlete Yuridia Palacios said. “I remember feeling so nervous before our performance after passing into the second round and I remember the adrenaline we all had before and after hitting the mat. The highlight of it all though was when my team and I were sitting in a circle, holding hands, and anxiously waiting for the state runner-up and state champions to be announced, praying that we would at least be state runner-up. Once our team was announced as state champions I remember jumping up and screaming with joy. It was definitely an unforgettable feeling of excitement and accomplishment and celebrating it with my teammates and coaches was an incredible way to end the season.”
“Already, it has truly been a blessing to coach at Arrupe,” Lopez added. “I continuously feel support from the athletic director and all of the staff here to create and maintain a disciplined program with student-athletes who have high expectations. I know that God brought me here. Each school that I have coached at has a different culture and Arrupe’s culture is one that brings all students and staff together in positive ways.”
According to Coach Lopez, this victory wasn’t only incredibly meaningful to her program and her student-athletes, as the Arrupe Jesuit community was equally enthusiastic about finally securing the school’s first title.
“Through all my years of coaching and the three State Championships I have won, I have never seen a celebration from a school that compares to the celebration Arrupe provided,” Coach Lopez continued. “The day after state, the entire school came together to celebrate the cheer team. All staff and students lined the halls of the school as we paraded through the halls, and then we were all led into the gym, where our athletic director and principals gave speeches in front of the entire school to acknowledge the hard work and achievements of the cheer team. Not only was the staff incredibly happy and supportive but the other students were so happy for us and were just as excited to celebrate Arrupe’s first gold trophy.”
Now, guiding the program to the school’s first championship of any kind in year one is an outstanding achievement, but it’s not without its hurdles.
How does one avoid complacency or over-confidence when they conquer the summit on their very first attempt? It’s certainly not an easy ask.
Yet, after talking with Coach Lopez’s team, you might think it was.
“Despite our incredible success last year as a first-year cheer team, I am looking to improve our stunts and learn more advanced techniques this season,” Palacios expressed. “I want to push my limits and take our energy to the next level. I want to be able to bring a more impressive performance to all of our competitions this year.”
“I am so excited for this cheer season,” Coach Lopez said. “My athletes are incredibly hardworking and dedicated. We are continuing to build on the foundation we set last year. Our skills are improving each day. This year our athletes are taking tumbling classes to help take our team to the next level. One thing I love about spirit programs is that they run for an entire year, not just a few months. Over the past year, the veterans and I have grown together and now we have welcomed in our new rookie class and have started to form lasting bonds.”
The Arrupe Jesuit Generals will get another chance to chase a state championship trophy at CHSAA’s 2024 Spirit State Championships, Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 12-14, at the Denver Coliseum, in Denver.