On Oct. 2, senior Elisa Stephano spent her night in the hospital with crowds of doctors surrounding her constantly asking her to “wiggle her toes.”
After a rough day at practice with few of her stunts hitting, Stephano and her cheerleading stunt group finally hit a scale of a one-legged cheer stunt during a run-through.

But while she was coming down, Stephano fell forwards towards the mat instead of backwards and was instantly hurt.

“It happened so fast,” sophomore Skyla Davidson said. “When she hit the floor, I was in shock and was just praying she was okay.”

Davidson is one of Stephano’s bases. Even though there was nothing anyone could do, there was guilt associated with the thought that she could have done something more for Stephano, Davidson said.

“When it first happened, we were all really scared because the trainers weren’t telling us anything,” senior Taylor Day said.

After the trainers came, Stephano was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and had a series of X-rays and CAT scans done.

But the doctors kept reassuring her she would be able to walk out of the hospital that night.

“It was surreal,” Stephano said. “Like what you see on TV, 15 doctors in your face.”

Luckily, Stephano was not badly hurt. She had a concussion and a neck sprain, and with her coach, dad and two of her friends by her side, she felt reassured and comforted.

Unfortunately however, she was out for the remainder of the season and was unable to compete at cheer districts or regionals, where the team came in fourth and fifth, respectively.