D2 Preview: Hopefuls Chase Carlson
March 6, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
No MHSAA Final in any sport has produced as consistent a series of finishes as the Division 2 Competitive Cheer Final over the last four seasons.
Gibraltar Carlson on Saturday is chasing a fifth straight title. Dearborn Divine Child has finished runner-up the last four seasons and will pursue a first championship – as will five others – when competition begins at 10 a.m.
Following are glances at all eight Division 2 teams competing at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex. All four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis.
ALLEN PARK
Rank: No. 3.
League finish: Third in Downriver League.
Coach: Julie Goodwin, 10th season.
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2010, runner-up 2008.
Top score: 771.5.
Team composition: 25 total (11 seniors, five juniors, four sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: Allen Park moved up to third last season after two straight fourth places and could be poised to take another step. The Jaguars finished third at both their District and Regional but first or second at all but one event during the regular season – and that event was the championship meet for one of the strongest cheer leagues in the state. Senior Courtney Felt made the all-state first team last season and seniors Alicia Buhnerkemper and Katelyn Szwed earned honorable mentions.
DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD
Rank: No. 4.
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League.
Coach: Amber Genevich, 10th season.
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Top score: 771.9 at the District.
Team composition: 20 total (six seniors, three juniors, nine sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: Divine Child continued to push Gibraltar Carlson for the championship last season, falling fewer than eight points from a first title. The Falcons came within six of Carlson in finishing second at both the District and Regional, and their best scores for each round all rank among the top five posted in Division 2 this winter. Seniors Kaelah O’Brien, Laura Kastler and Hanna Korpics made the all-state second team last season, and senior Maggie Marion earned an honorable mention.
DEWITT
Rank: No. 2.
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Red.
Coach: Candace Heskitt, seventh season.
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2007.
Top score: 781.30 at the District.
Team composition: 23 total (four seniors, 12 juniors, three sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: The Panthers have won four straight Regional championships and finished fifth at the last two Division 2 Finals – but look like a strong possibility to move up. DeWitt also won 10 of 13 events this season, with two seconds and a third place as well, and its top overall score is the best in Division 2. Senior Katlyn Sweeney and junior Abigail Wassom both made the all-state second team last season.
GIBRALTAR CARLSON
Rank: No. 1.
League finish: First in Downriver League.
Coach: Ayrn Ziesmer, first season.
Championship history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), four runner-up finishes.
Top score: 779.04.
Team composition: 19 total (two seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, 11 freshmen).
Outlook: New coach and more than half the team new to high school – same results so far. Carlson is seeking its fifth straight title and sixth in seven seasons now under Ziesmer, a former assistant for reigning Division 1 champion Southgate Anderson. Carlson has posted the top Round 2 (229.22) and Round 3 (318.6) scores in Division 2 this season and the top average overall score (768.164) by more than six points. Junior Tahlia Hamilton made the all-state second team last season and junior Angelique Voden earned honorable mention.
GRAND RAPIDS KENOWA HILLS
Rank: No. 6.
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Black.
Coach: Chris Hudson, fifth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 760.68.
Team composition: 19 total (two seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Kenowa Hills is back at the Finals after missing the last two seasons and despite seeing league and District title streaks end – the Knights still finished a strong second at both. Kenowa Hills has posted scores that rank among the top 10 in the division this season for every round and has been especially strong in Round 2, where its best of 316.6 ranks fourth. Junior Bri Hardy made the all-region second team last season.
MIDDLEVILLE THORNAPPLE KELLOGG
Rank: No. 7.
League finish: First in O-K Gold.
Coach: Abby Kanitz, eighth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 775.42.
Team composition: 22 total (three seniors, four juniors, nine sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Thornapple Kellogg is back for its second straight Final and after winning its fifth straight league title. The Trojans finished sixth in Division 2 last year and are coming off their second-highest score of the season, 762.32, to finish second at their Regional. Thornapple Kellogg’s best Round 2 (228.62) and Round 3 (318.1) and overall scores all rank third in Division 2 this winter. Senior Katie Bowling made the all-state second team and senior Taylor Tyndall earned an honorable mention in 2014.
ORTONVILLE BRANDON
Rank: No. 8.
League finish: First in Flint Metro League.
Coach: Brooke Sharrard, second season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 767.42.
Team composition: 19 total (four seniors, six juniors, six sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: The Blackhawks also are back at the Finals for the first time since 2012, when they finished third in Division 2, and after finishing fourth at a Regional behind the top-three ranked teams overall. They’ve won league and District titles both seasons under Sharrard. Brandon’s best Round 1 score of 233.4 ranks sixth in Division 2 this season, and it has posted its top two overall scores over its last five competitions. Junior Sierra Coughlin made the all-region first team last season.
ST. JOSEPH
Rank: Unranked.
League finish: First in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference.
Coach: Jenna Ruddell, fourth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 763.68 at the District.
Team composition: 24 total (six seniors, five juniors, five sophomores, eight freshmen).
Outlook: The Bears continue to rise under Ruddell, making their third Finals in a row after moving up three spots to finish fourth in 2014. The team finished first at seven events this season and posted its top two scores over the last two events – its best Round 3 score, 314.2, ranks seventh in Division 2 this season. Senior Bailey Hedman made the all-state first team last season, and senior Toria Beckum earned an honorable mention.
PHOTO: Dearborn Divine Child finished second in Division 2 last winter for the fourth straight, but will pursue its first title Saturday.
Hudson Posts Top Scores in Every Round of Dominating 3-Peat Win
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2022
GRAND RAPIDS – As freshmen, Hudson’s Maize Sholl and Logan Parks felt the heartbreak and disappointment of missing out on a competitive cheer state championship by the slimmest of margins.
It was a feeling the pair would never have to experience again.
Hudson delivered a dominating performance Friday to win the Division 4 Final at the Delta Plex.
It was the Tigers’ third consecutive Finals title and fourth in the last five years.
Hudson finished with a three-round total of 759.80 and set a new Finals record for widest margin of victory.
Adrian Madison placed runner-up at 709.12. It was the Trojans’ first top-two finish.
“It’s just unbelievable to me and it’s like a dream come true,” Parks said. “I think freshman year when we lost by .36 (points), it just brought a fire to us and we just kept pushing. Everyone on this team has such a passion for cheer.”
Hudson finished runner-up to Pewamo-Westphalia in 2019, but hasn’t been defeated at the Finals since.
“Obviously we had a lot of doubts our freshmen year, and it really motivated us,” Sholl said. “It put a fire on our rear end. Coming out and winning all three rounds and breaking the record for most points won by was incredible.”
The Tigers were heavy favorites entering the day and proved quickly that they weren’t going to relinquish that role.
Hudson recorded a high score of 227.90 in Round 1 to grab a commanding lead. The advantage ballooned to more than 30 following an impressive Round 2.
“They were on fire all day,” Tigers coach Kelly Bailey said. “I still can’t ever get rid of their nerves, but I’m so proud of them.
“We talk a lot about preparing ourselves for this moment, and this feels absolutely amazing. We’ve won them all for these kinds of kids.”
Hudson’s roster included only three seniors, and several underclassmen who shined in all three rounds.
“We had a lot of kids who stepped up this year, and they really brought the fire and made us better,” Sholl said. “We put in a lot of hard work, and everyone was dedicated.”
Despite the large lead entering Round 3, the Tigers capped the day with another high score, 311.
“After we were told that we were up by a lot, it was just about going out there and having fun because it was our last time on the mat,” Sholl said. “This is the best thing ever, and there’s nothing better than ending your high school career with a three-peat.”
Madison’s previous best finish at the Finals was fourth the past two years, but the Trojans held off third-place Lawton with the second-highest score in Round 3.
“Coming into today, my biggest expectation was for them to peak and to do their best of the season,” Madison coach Sarah Kope said. “They did that, and they were phenomenal. The past two seasons have been crazy with quarantines constantly and having girls in and out, and they’ve just been extremely resilient. I’m very proud of them.”
PHOTOS Hudson (top) and Adrian Madison (middle) compete during Friday’s Division 4 Final at Grand Rapids’ Delta Plex. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)