Fast Start Leads to Familiar Allen Park Finals Finish

By Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com

March 27, 2021

EAST LANSING – Allen Park proved Saturday the importance of a fast start in competitive cheerleading.

The Jaguars built a big lead, then held on despite not having their best stuff in Round 3 to capture their second consecutive Division 2 championship at the Breslin Center at Michigan State University.

“We didn’t have our best Round 3, but we definitely had our best Rounds 1 and 2,” said Allen Park senior Kylee Dietz, a returning all-stater from last year. “That just proves it takes three rounds to win a state championship.”

Allen Park posted the best scores in the eight-team field in the first two rounds and did enough in the final round to win with a 782.34 score.

DeWitt (778.90) moved up one after a third-place finish last year to place second. Muskegon Mona Shores (776.48) moved up to third with the best Round 3 score in the field.

Allen Park has now won three of the last five Division 2 titles, while placing second the other two years.

Julie Goodwin, in her 16th year as the Jaguars’ coach, said the key to this year’s victory occurred long before Saturday’s first two rounds – and far away from the bright lights of the Breslin Center.

“For two months we had practice on the computer four days a week and we had 100 percent attendance,” said Goodwin, who is assisted by Meghan Terry, Tina Johnson and Jessica Tremonti. “These girls worked hard in their basements.”

It looked for most of Saturday morning that Allen Park was going to run away from the rest of the field, in similar fashion as Rochester Adams did in the Division 1 Final on Friday.

But the Jaguars had an uncharacteristic drop on a stunt and several bobbles in Round 3, opening the door, albeit slightly, for its competitors. Goodwin said her team showed its grit by finishing the round strong.

“Endurance and perseverance were the key to today’s win,” Goodwin said. “I have been saying all year that we are grateful, thankful and blessed –  and I truly mean that.”

Leading the Jaguars through this challenging season were six seniors, including returning all-staters Skyler Longton and Dietz. Other seniors were Cailey Tuttle, Haylee Jent and returning all-state honorable mention choices Rayden Guthrie and Monica Karagozian.

Those six seniors pointed to the depth of the program, with 27 girls on the roster, as the key to this year’s championship. That depth allowed the Jaguars to overcome teammates that were sidelined by COVID testing and injuries.

2021 D2 Competitive Cheer Runner-Up DeWitt

“Everyone here is always prepared to step in and get the job done,” said Guthrie.

Allen Park will likely be in the hunt for a “three-peat” next winter, with a strong group of 10 juniors (including all-staters Adrianna Carone and Cassidy Kuhn) and nine sophomores returning.

DeWitt, which has never won a cheer Finals championship, finished runner-up for the third time, after also taking second in 2007 and 2015.

Candace Heskitt, in her 13th year as DeWitt’s coach, featured a veteran team with nine juniors and eight seniors – notably returning first-team all-staters Gabrielle Cooney and Aubrey McKinley.

“We had a feeling we were going to have a breakthrough, and it finally came today,” McKinley said. “It’s sad that it’s over, but it’s great to leave with this big trophy.”

Click for full team standings.

PHOTOS: (Top) Allen Park celebrates its Division 2 championship Saturday at Breslin Center. (Middle) DeWitt competes on the way to its third runner-up Finals finish. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

Title IX at 50: Competitive Cheer Gives Michigan Plenty to Cheer About

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

December 20, 2021

From its start in 1994, competitive cheer has given tens of thousands of athletes an opportunity to present an impressive array of athleticism, stunts and enthusiasm in a competitive format, while being cheered by hundreds of thousands during one of the MHSAA’s best-attended tournament sports.  

Competitive cheer has grown to include nearly 7,000 high school participants annually, with a high of nearly 7,800 in 2006-07, from more than 350 schools. The sport’s postseason, from Districts through Finals, set attendance records for 12 straight seasons through 2015, when it drew a high of 31,284 spectators across the three levels of postseason competition.

Unlike spirit formats in other states, the MHSAA’s competitive cheer format allows full teams to test their skills against each other, scoring based on difficulty and creativity among other criteria, plus the number of athletes competing for a team during each of three rounds.

Rochester High, guided during its entirety by coach Susan Wood, won the first three Class A championships and owns a record 14 Finals titles overall. Gibraltar Carlson is next with 11 titles, and Breckenridge has won 10. Grandville has won six championships, and Richmond, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Chesaning and Michigan Center all have won five.

Carlson, from 2011-16, set the record with consecutive championships, earning six straight in Division 2. Pontiac Notre Dame from 2014-18 and Rochester from 1999-2003 won five consecutive.

Rochester Adams (Division 1), Allen Park (Division 2) and Hudson (Division 4) are all enjoying current two-year championship streaks, and Richmond has won the last three Division 3 titles.

Second Half's weekly Title IX Celebration posts are sponsored by Michigan Army National Guard.

Previous Title IX at 50 Spotlights

Dec. 14: Evelyn's Game Had Plenty of Magic - Read
Dec. 7: 
Council Term Ends, But Leinaar Leaves Lasting Impact - Read
Nov. 30: 
Basketball Season Ready to Add to Rich Tradition - Read
Nov. 23: 
Marysville Builds Winning Streak Yet to be Challenged - Read
Nov. 16: Wroubel Has Championed Girls School Sports from Their Start - Read
Nov. 9: Pioneer's Joyce Legendary in Michigan, National Swim History - Read
Nov. 2: Royal Oak's Finch Leading Way on Football Field - Read
Oct. 26: Coach Clegg Sets Championship Standard at Grand Blanc - Read
Oct. 19: Rockford Girls Set Pace, Hundreds After Have Continued to Chase - Read
Oct. 12: 
Bedford Volleyball Pioneer Continues Blazing Record-Setting Trail - Read
Oct. 5: 
Warner Paved Way to Legend Status with Record Rounds - Read
Sept. 28: Taylor Kennedy Gymnasts Earn Fame as 1st Champions - Read
Sept. 21: 
Portage Northern Star Byington Becomes Play-by-Play Pioneer - Read
Sept. 14: 
Guerra/Groat Legacy Continues to Serve St. Philip Well - Read
Sept. 7: 
Best-Ever Conversation Must Include Leland's Glass - Read
Aug. 31: We Will Celebrate Many Who Paved the Way - Read

(MHSAA file photo.)