As the 2016-17 cheer season begins, the squad has made many changes, such as bringing in a new coach and making the transition to a single, bigger team.

Nicole Zambrano, the team’s new coach, was cheer captain at Palo Alto High School and cheered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in college.

“[Zambrano] knows what she’s doing and pushes us to our limits. We’re getting a lot done and everything works and flows really well,” senior team captain Dallas Morgenstern said. “She’s definitely all to thank for that.”

Zambrano’s primary goal this year is to rebuild the team and create a positive atmosphere  for the girls to enjoy the sport.

The change of combining JV and varsity into one unified squad has not fazed the girls; in fact, they are “much more of a team already,” said sophomore Mira Spendlove. Morgenstern agrees, saying the team can also make larger formations and perform  more complex stunts.

Over the summer, the cheer team invited instructors to SHS, who taught them new stunts and tricks.

“It was a really challenging experience, but it made me a lot better,” Spendlove said.

Morgenstern said, this year’s cheer team may just be the best out of her four years at Saratoga High.

“We haven’t really had a great team yet in my high school experience, but this year feels different. It’s a year of rebuilding,” Morgenstern said.