D2 Preview: Downriver Powers Set Pace
March 6, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
What’s become an annual season-long tussle the last few seasons between Downriver League rivals Allen Park and Gibraltar Carlson is headed for another conclusion Saturday morning at the Grand Rapids Delta Plex.
They’ve once again traded top performances, Carlson winning the league and Allen Park the Regional, and together they’ve combined to win the last 12 Division 2 competitive cheer championships. Carlson is the reigning back-to-back title winner, while Allen Park has finished runner-up these last two seasons and three of the last four. When Allen Park won in 2017, Carlson came in second.
Allen Park has the top Round 2 (233.0), Round 3 (323.8) and total score (794.2) in the state this season, regardless of division, and is second in Round 1 (239.5). Carlson has set the pace in Round 1 (239.6) statewide with the second best overall score (794.1) in any division and second-best Round 2 and 3 in Division 2.
And of course, there are challengers with the capabilities to push the powers – and they’ve posted scores to show that potential.
Below are glances at all eight teams. Round 1 begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, and the event in its entirety will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis. Click here for the Finals rotation schedule and other important information.
ALLEN PARK
League finish: Second in Downriver League
Coach: Julie Goodwin, 15th season
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2017 and 2010, four runner-up finishes.
Top score: 794.20 at the District.
Team composition: 28 total (two seniors, 11 juniors, eight sophomores, seven freshmen)
Outlook: As noted above, Allen Park appears to be surging of late in its back-and-forth with Carlson. The Jaguars have the top Round 2 (233.0), Round 3 (323.8) and overall (794.2) scores posted in Division 2 this season, and the Round 3 and overall scores are the highest in the state regardless of division. They’ve won eight meets this winter and finished second in their other three. Senior Jessika Palmarchuk and junior Skyler Longton made the all-state second team last season, and sophomore Cassidy Kuhn earned honorable mention.
CEDAR SPRINGS
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Coach: Anne Olszewski, sixth season
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 773.10.
Team composition: 18 total (eight seniors, four juniors, five sophomores, one freshman)
Outlook: Cedar Springs is looking to build on last season’s fifth-place finish that saw the Red Hawks miss fourth by less than a point. Their strongest round might be Round 1, where their best of 234.1 ranks eighth in Division 2 this season, and they’ve posted their top two overall scores over their last three events. Senior Paige Pierson made the all-state first team last season, and senior Zoe Castor made the second.
CHARLOTTE
League finish: Second in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Co-coaches: Yvonne Ridge/Liz Hoogstra, 18th and 15th seasons
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 782.36.
Team composition: 24 total (four seniors, five juniors, seven sophomores, eight freshmen)
Outlook: Charlotte finished fourth in Division 3 last season after back-to-back sixth places, one each in Divisions 2 and 3. The Orioles’ scores this winter point to another possible top-half finish – all three of their best-round scores rank among the top five posted in Division 2, with their best Round 2 (230.5) and Round 3 (319.6) both ranking fourth. Senior Erica Brock made the all-state second team in Division 3 last season, and junior Julia Phillips and sophomore Dakota Gerard both earned honorable mentions.
DEWITT
League finish: First in CAAC Red
Coach: Candace Heskitt, 12th season
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2015 and 2007.
Top score: 789.78.
Team composition: 28 total (10 seniors, seven juniors, nine sophomores, two freshmen)
Outlook: DeWitt has finished sixth the last two seasons but appears on the verge of a jump with their best round scores all ranking among the top four in Division 2 this season, and their best Round 2 (231.1), Round 3 (321.3) and total score all posting third. The Panthers have placed first at eight of their last nine competitions and won their Regional by nearly seven points. Junior Aubrey McKinley made the all-state first team last season, while junior Gabrielle Cooney made the second.
GIBRALTAR CARLSON
League finish: First in Downriver League
Coach: Emily Howard, first season
Championship history: 11 MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), five runner-up finishes.
Top score: 794.08
Team composition: 26 total (eight seniors, seven juniors, seven sophomores, four freshmen)
Outlook: Carlson has a new coach for the second straight season, but Howard is plenty familiar with the program’s expectations as she was an assistant during last year’s championship run and also has coached at the middle school level in the district. The Marauders haven’t missed a beat, finishing first at eight competitions and second at the other two, and scoring over 785 total six times. Howard inherited a championship cast with seniors Samantha Hamel and Elliah Shank and juniors Alex Stewart and Maguire Lindisch all returning all-state first teamers, seniors Rylee Demers and Sarah Klim back after making the second team last season and seniors Amelia Trueblood and Isabella Trueblood and Skylar Yakowich having earned honorable mention in 2019.
MUSKEGON MONA SHORES
League finish: First in O-K Black
Coach: Amanda Heethuis, 13th season
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 779.90.
Team composition: 29 total (six seniors, 10 juniors, nine sophomores, four freshmen)
Outlook: The Sailors will again look to make a run at the top two with last season’s third place finish their second in three years. Their average total score of 764.3 is a good sign as it ranks third in Division 2. Mona Shores has won 10 competitions and finished second at its other two, led by an experienced cast. Senior Logan Potts made the all-state first team last season, while senior Madilyn Ogle and sophomore Carys Mitchell made the second team and junior Brooklin Yokubonus earned honorable mention.
SOUTHGATE ANDERSON
League finish: Fourth in Downriver League
Coach: Colette Norscia, 17th season (second of second tenure)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Top score: 774.54 at the Regional.
Team composition: 21 total (one senior, three juniors, six sophomores, 11 freshmen)
Outlook: Norscia guided a team with only four upperclassmen through the competitive Downriver League and back to the Finals after a season away. Anderson finished fourth at its Regional, but its score would’ve won the other Regional in this division. Round 2 might be the strength, as the Titans’ best score of 228.0 ranks eighth in Division 2. Senior Nevaeh Doucet, junior Breanna Unis and sophomore Alivia Ensign earned all-District recognition in 2019.
WALLED LAKE WESTERN
League finish: First in Lakes Valley Conference
Co-coaches: Amber Stocks and Michelle Frey, 10th seasons
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 783.50 at the Regional.
Team composition: 21 total (seven seniors, six juniors, five sophomores, three freshmen)
Outlook: After debuting at the Finals last season and finishing eighth, Western will return for the second year in a row and with the potential to climb. Western’s best Round 1 score this season (237.6) ranks third in Division 2, while it total score at the Regional was the fourth highest in the division this winter. Senior Makayla Sheppy earned all-state honorable mention last season while juniors Jocelyn Peets and Jordan Zayed earned all-Regional honors.
PHOTO: Gibraltar Carlson competes during its Division 2 Regional; it will look to win a third-straight Finals championship this weekend. (Photo courtesy of the Carlson competitive cheer program.)
Why Not Cedar Springs? Red Hawks Excited to Chase Finals Championship
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
January 18, 2024
CEDAR SPRINGS – It’s been more than 15 years since a competitive cheer team from the west side of the state has won a Division 2 Finals championship.
Cedar Springs is attempting to change that.
The Red Hawks entered the week ranked No. 3 in Division 2 behind perennial powerhouses Allen Park and Gibraltar Carlson.
“Our end goal with the program is not to just make it a goal to be at the state meet, it’s to win it.” Cedar Springs coach Katy Hradsky said. “No one else from around the area has won in Division 2 since 2007, and I know it's a hefty goal, and a lot to say out loud, but at the same time who else is going to do it? Why not us?”
Holland Christian claimed the last Division 2 title before Allen Park and Gibraltar began dominating. The two schools have combined to win the last 16 Division 2 Finals.
“At this point, we know how high we can score and we know what our potential is,” senior Taylor Shadley said. “We are done playing small, and we feel like we should go hard every competition in order to achieve those goals – because why not us?
The Red Hawks’ best Finals finish recently was fifth in 2019. The program made four consecutive trips (2019-2022) before failing to reach championship weekend a year ago.
That disappointment still runs deep for the returning athletes.
“It was really heartbreaking because we went through a lot of adversity throughout our season,” Shadley said. “It was disappointing for us, but it gave us more motivation going into this year.”
Said senior Hannah Wright: “We have a lot of motivation this year. We struggled to do it last year and some obstacles got in our way from getting there, but I think this year we’ve really buckled down and gotten stronger as a team. We’re even more motivated.”
The Red Hawks weathered a tough start this season due to illness and injury and placed third in their first two competitions. They got back on track earlier this month and won their own invitational.
“It was a very rough start to the season, but it's getting there,” said Hradsky, who’s in her third year at the helm but has been a part of the program for the past decade.
“We were really young last year, and we’re still young. Our freshman and sophomore classes outweigh our junior and senior classes by about five, but it doesn't mean they are any less talented or skilled than any other team that I’ve had here. They are just as motivated as last year, if not more.”
In addition to Shadley and Wright, the following also compete in all three rounds: senior Kennedy Klocko, juniors Kadee Rypma, Ashley Buckley and Sarah Buckley; sophomores Taylor Verduin, Marley Salisbury and Brynn Nesbitt; and freshmen Lily Maddox and Ella Roth.
“Our biggest strengths are rounds 1 and 2, and we have worked really hard to get some of those skills back that we didn’t have last year in round 2,” Hradsky said. “We made it our goal all sideline season and at the start of the competitive season to make sure those skills are as perfect as they can be.”
Round 3 is still a work in progress, according to Shadley.
“We are seeing what works for everybody, and we have a lot of girls who are able to be moved around,” she said. “It’s just getting things to click.”
“The bond we have helps, and our coaching is structured,” Wright added. “The coaches know what they are doing, and they know what to give us to motivate us. It’s a very welcoming place to learn, grow and make mistakes.”
The recent winter weather has wreaked havoc on Cedar Springs’ schedule.
A trip to Rochester Hills Stoney Creek was canceled, as well as Wednesday’s first Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold meet. The Red Hawks will be one of the favorites to win their conference and were looking forward to showcase their skills.
“It was disappointing because we felt prepared going in, but with more preparation we will be just fine,” Shadley said.
Added Wright: “We were really excited for Stoney Creek because it’s one that we look forward to and we were really hyped for our first conference meet. We will take that time to practice and perfect everything we need to do to come back stronger for the next competition.”
The aspirations are clear, and the initiative plentiful.
“The goal every year is to get better and better for the state meet, and then to do what we can to be at the state meet,” Hradsky said.
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Cedar Springs competes during a meet on its home mat. (Middle) This season’s Red Hawks competitive cheer team. (Photos courtesy of the Cedar Springs competitive cheer program.)