What started as a heartbreak finish for the Fallon Greenwave Mitey Mites cheer squad turned into the comeback story of the season, all while the kids were asleep.
On Sunday, Nov. 23, the squad wrapped up their routine at the Pacific Northwest Regionals, hitting every stunt and formation with the confidence of a team that had gone undefeated all year. But when the awards were announced, Fallon was named third.
According to head coach Tori Edgington Ausano, the squad took the news with the kind of grace adults could learn from. “We all took the loss very well,” she said. “They performed the routine amazingly… we thought maybe we just fell short.”
The team went to bed that night as third-place finishers.
The next morning, everything changed.
When the league released the official digital scorecards on Nov. 24, Fallon had actually won the entire competition. A mistake in the awards-presentation order meant the Mitey Mites never heard their name called for the top spot — but on paper and in performance, they are the 2025 Pacific Northwest Regionals Champions.
“We’ll never get our moment back as being announced first place at Regionals,” Ausano said. “But I told my team we can celebrate the win louder than the loss at this point.”
And they have plenty to celebrate. The Mitey Mites completed a clean sweep this season — first place at every competition — an almost unheard-of run in youth cheer.
“Cheer is a tough sport,” Ausano reminded. “They throw kids their size in the air, and all of their hard work in a season comes down to two minutes and 30 seconds on the mat.”
The regional directors are now sending Fallon their rightful first-place trophy.
The squad won’t be celebrating alone. The Greenwave Peewee team, the age group above Mitey Mites, also captured first place at Regionals, giving Fallon a double-header of championship titles.
Both Pop Warner cheer teams will take part in one of Fallon’s favorite traditions — dyeing the city fountain green in honor of their regional victories.
A loud, well-earned finish for two teams that never stopped climbing.
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