D3 Preview: Familiar Favorites Lead the Way
March 4, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three of the last five seasons, Richmond and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep have finished first and second in some order atop the MHSAA Division 3 Finals standings. The same was true again at this winter’s District and Regional competitions.
So it wouldn’t stun many to see those teams compete for the top prize again this weekend – although six more teams would love to provide a surprise or two along the way.
Following are glances at all eight Division 3 teams competing at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday. All four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis.
COMSTOCK PARK
Rank: No. 7.
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue.
Coach: Kathy Felty, 26th season.
Championship history: Division 3 champions 2011 and 2009, three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 762.56 at the Regional.
Team composition: 19 overall (seven juniors, seven sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: After graduating 11 seniors from last season’s team, Comstock Park has none but an exciting future after winning 10 of 14 events this season including the District with its highest score of the winter. The Panthers have finished fourth, second and fourth, respectively, at the last three Division 3 Finals, and this season surges during Round 3 with its top score of 762.6 ranking seventh in the division and its average total score of 733.1 listing sixth. Juniors Alyssa Geraghty, Heather Damuth and Haleigh Brown and sophomore Jakela Davis earned all-region honors last season.
ESCANABA
Rank: Unranked.
League finish: First in Great Northern Conference.
Coach: Kristopher Langlois, second season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 752.66 at the District.
Team composition: 22 total (nine seniors, four juniors, six sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Escanaba blasted onto the downstate scene by winning a Regional last week that included No. 7 Comstock, No. 5 Lakewood, No. 10 Paw Paw and No. 8 Freeland, and advanced to the MHSAA Finals for the first time. Round 3 is where the Eskymos shine most, with their top score of 315.3 ranking third in Division 3 this season. Escanaba won nine of its 10 events, finishing second just once. Junior Samantha Flinn made the all-region second team last season as the Eskymos competed in Division 2.
LAKE ODESSA LAKEWOOD
Rank: No. 5.
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference.
Coach: Kim Martin, 22nd season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 750.40.
Team composition: 19 total (seven seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Lakewood is back at the Finals for the second straight season after finishing eighth in 2015. The Vikings’ third place at the Regional was its only place lower than second this season. Similar to last winter, they’re especially strong in Round 1, with a top score this season of 233.7 that ranks third in Division 3, and their average overall score of 728.6 ranks seventh in the division. Senior Samantha Morrison made the all-state first team last season, while senior Carley Bennett made the second team and senior Haley VanValkenburg earned honorable mention.
MONROE JEFFERSON
Rank: No. 4.
League finish: First in Huron League.
Coach: Sara Griffin, eighth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 766.68 at the Regional.
Team composition: 18 total (six seniors, five juniors, five sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: Griffin, who formerly led Flat Rock to the Finals in 2006, brings a team that won five events this season and never finished lower than third. The Bears’ top Round 1 and 2 scores rank among the top five in Division 3 this season – with the Round 2 score of 228.2 second and their average overall score of 737.6 ranking fifth. The Regional score was 24 points better than their previous best this season. Seniors Kayleigh Adams, Chrissy Boitnott and Ashleigh Carroll and junior Haylie Jewell all earned all-district honors last season.
OVID-ELSIE
Rank: No. 3.
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference Central and overall.
Coach: Katie Calverley, fourth season.
Championship history: Class C champion 2005 and 2004.
Top score: 765.26 at the Regional.
Team composition: 19 total (nine seniors, one junior, five sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Ovid-Elsie will return to the Finals for the first time since finishing fifth in 2013 and after reaching the Regionals both of the last two seasons; Calverley was a member of the teams that won back-to-back Class B titles. A fourth-place at the Regional was the Marauders’ lowest this season; they won 10 events and finished second once. Round 2 is a strength, as the team’s top score of 228.5 is tops in Division 3 and would rank fourth in Division 2. Seniors Courtney Loynes, Leah Batora and BreAnna Deming and junior Riley Caswell earned all-region honors in 2015.
PAW PAW
Rank: No. 10.
League finish: First in Wolverine Conference.
Coach: Stefanie Miller, seventh season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 748.56 at the District.
Team composition: 18 total (six seniors, three juniors, nine sophomores).
Outlook: Paw Paw finished sixth a year ago, its fourth straight finish of seventh or higher. The Redskins won seven events this season including their District, and also broke 740 points to win their league meet. The team’s best Round 3 score of 313.4 ranks fifth in Division 3, and its best Round 2 score is ninth. Seniors Hannah Diaz and Georgia Waldron and juniors Brianne Korteway and Mary Schincariol earned all-region honors last season.
PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP
Rank: No. 2.
League finish: Second in the Detroit Catholic League.
Coach: Beth Campbell, fourth season.
Championship history: Division 3 champions 2015 and 2014, runner-up 2013.
Top score: 778.58 at the Regional.
Team composition: 26 total (six seniors, eight juniors, seven sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: Notre Dame Prep has continued its string of success and is a favorite again after winning Division 3 the last two seasons. The Fighting Irish have finished first or second in every event this season and posted scores of 770 or higher four times and dating to their third meet of the season. Notre Dame Prep has the highest Round 1 (235.3), Round 3 (318.5) and overall scores (778.6) in Division 3 this winter. Seniors Paige Lombardo and Lauren Kavanagh made the all-state second team last season, and senior Allison Kot and junior Grace Mackey earned honorable mentions.
RICHMOND
Rank: No. 1.
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference.
Coach: Kelli Matthes, eighth season.
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2013 and 2012, runner-up 2015 and 2011.
Top score: 778.2 at the Regional.
Team composition: 28 total (two seniors, 11 juniors, five sophomores, 10 freshmen).
Outlook: Back and forth Richmond has gone with Notre Dame Prep most of the last five seasons, and was the favorite heading into the postseason after finishing second to the Fighting Irish a year ago – but before finishing second to the Irish at the District and Regional last month. Still, Richmond has the highest average overall score in Division 3 – 765.1 – and the second-highest top scores in Rounds 1 and 3. Seniors Emily Fitzsimons and Jessica Hatcher made the all-state first team last season, while juniors Kaleigh Taylor and Kari Olsen made the second team and juniors Haley Saikowski and Lauren Duche earned honorable mentions.
PHOTO: Reigning champion Pontiac Notre Dame Prep performs its Round 1 routine during last season's Division 3 Final.
D4 Preview: Huskies Hunt for 3-Peat
March 3, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s tough to overstate how dominant Breckenridge’s cheer program has been since returning to the mat at the start of the 2014-15 season.
But neither of those first two Division 4 championship seasons was accompanied by as much success as this winter’s Huskies have enjoyed.
Below are glances at all eight Division 4 teams competing beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday. All four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis.
ADRIAN MADISON
Rank: No. 4.
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Coach: Emily Gafford, eighth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 758.16 at District.
Team composition: 17 total (four seniors, three juniors, six sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Madison is making its first trip to the Finals since 2011 after also winning its first District title since that season. The Trojans are surging with their top two scores coming in the District and Regional, even as that Regional score placed the team fourth, its only finish below third and one of only two lower than second this winter. Madison’s best Round 3 of 314.2 leads Division 3. Seniors Bre Anna Collins and Emily Hindes earned all-region honorable mentions last season.
BRECKENRIDGE
Rank: No. 1.
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Co-coaches: Deb Gaines, 32nd season; Jenna Graham, ninth season.
Championship history: Nine MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), one runner-up finish.
Top score: 774.32.
Team composition: Nine total (three seniors, two juniors, four sophomores).
Outlook: It’s been an incredible run for Breckenridge, which has won the last two Division 4 titles and finished first in all of its events this season despite having half as many athletes as a year ago. The Huskies’ high score also is higher than at this time last year and would rank among the top five in Divisions 2 or 3; their average overall score of 749.4 is 26 points higher than second-place Madison’s. Senior Harley Conklin, junior Kasey Conn and sophomore Olivia Mayle made the all-state first team in 2016, and senior Madison Smith made the second team.
FARWELL
Rank: No. 5.
League finish: First in Jack Pine Conference.
Coach: Taylor Bryant, fifth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 751.86.
Team composition: 13 total (seven juniors, five sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Farwell doesn’t have a senior this season, but its top overall score is nearly 50 points higher than at this time a year ago and it’s moved up from second to first in the Jack Pine Conference. The Eagles will next try to improve on their eighth place at last season’s Finals; they’ve finished lower than second only once this season. Junior Morgan Nestor earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
HOUGHTON LAKE
Rank: No. 3.
League finish: Second in Jack Pine Conference.
Coach: Celeste Kubiak, 12th season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 752.52.
Team composition: 18 total (nine seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores).
Outlook: Houghton Lake finished fifth last season for the second straight but enters Saturday with a much more experienced lineup that hasn’t finished lower than second this season and has a high overall score 12 points better than when it entered the Finals a year ago. After finishing second to Farwell in the league, the Bobcats finished first ahead of their rival at both the District and Regional. Junior Jessica Whelpley earned all-state honorable mention in 2016.
HUDSON
Rank: No. 2.
League finish: First in Lenawee County Athletic Association.
Coach: Kelly Bailey, 20th season.
Championship history: Four runner-up finishes (most recent 2010).
Top score: 751.30 at Regional.
Team composition: 19 total (nine seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: After four finishes of fourth or higher over the previous four seasons, Hudson fell back to sixth in 2016 but also returns with a high overall score this season nearly 20 points better than at this time a year ago. Hudson’s average overall score of 720.8 ranks third in Division 4, and it won its first league title since 2011. Senior Bobbi Selix made the all-state second team last season, and junior Shiann Martinus earned an honorable mention.
MICHIGAN CENTER
Rank: No. 6.
League finish: First in Cascades Conference.
Coach: Jessica Trefry, 16th season.
Championship history: Five Division 4 titles (most recent 2014), one runner-up finish.
Top score: 758.68 at the Regional.
Team composition: 20 total (four seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Michigan Center improved from third in 2015 to second last winter, and that Regional score is the second-highest overall score in the division this season; the Cardinals’ round high scores all rank among the top four as well. They’ve cleared 740 points in three of their last four competitions. Sophomore Ayana Santana made the all-state first team last season, while senior Kamryn Barrett made the second team and senior Bethany Thrall and sophomore Carlee Lally earned honorable mentions.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Rank: No. 7.
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Coach: Staci Myers, 10th season.
Championship history: Eight MHSAA titles (most recent 2010), 10 runner-up finishes.
Top score: 744.92.
Team composition: 12 total (three seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: The Pirates remain one of the most accomplished cheer programs in MHSAA history and bounced back this winter after missing the Finals by two places at their Regional in 2016. Their average total score of 718.5 ranks fourth in the division, and P-W has broken 720 points in five straight events. Senior Nicole Schafer made the all-region second team in 2016, and senior Bailey Fandel earned an honorable mention.
SHELBY
Rank: Unranked.
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference.
Coach: Penny Grinage-Guy, 19th season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 733.44 at Regional.
Team composition: 18 total (four seniors, five juniors, three sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Shelby jumped a spot from eighth in 2015 to seventh last season and has improved significantly over their last five competitions, breaking 679 four times after topping out at 661 prior. Shelby shines in Round 3, where its top score this season (304.2) ranks seventh in the division. Senior Calee Monroe made the all-region second team last winter, and junior Makenzie Allen earned honorable mention.
PHOTO: Farwell is one of six teams returning from last season’s Division 4 Finals.