Hudson Completes Championship Climb

March 3, 2018

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half

GRAND RAPIDS – The Hudson competitive cheer team has been a staple at the MHSAA Finals for nearly two decades with 19 appearances, including 18 straight.

But the Tigers had been unable to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

A long time in the making, Hudson’s perseverance finally paid off when it captured that seemingly elusive Division 4 title Saturday at the DeltaPlex.   

The Tigers delivered three solid rounds en route to a season-high 769.26 total and the program’s first Finals victory.

Sanford Meridian (756.86) edged Adrian Madison (756.56) for runner-up honors by three tenths of a point.

“I knew it was going to be when the opportunity came,” Hudson coach Kelly Bailey said. “We’ve had great teams in the past, and I knew one time luck would meet with our opportunity, and we would do it. This was the year, and we had a great group of girls.”

The Tigers placed runner-up at the Finals five times, including three straight years from 2008-2010.

They finished a close second again last season to Breckenridge, which didn’t field a team this year after winning three consecutive Finals.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Hudson senior Payge Leathers said. “The feeling is unexplainable. This is my fourth year at the state finals, but finally breaking through and winning a state title has been the most overwhelming and exciting experience of my life.”

The Tigers, who won the Lenawee County Athletic Association crown, were ranked No. 5 entering the postseason.

“I knew it from the beginning this year,” Hudson senior Shiann Martinus said. “We clicked so well all year, and I’ve never had a team so bonded.  We all wanted the same goal and we did anything to get it, and we got it.

“We were three points away last year so we definitely didn’t want to cut it close this year, and we practiced like crazy.”

Hudson held a slim two-point lead entering the final round, but pulled away from the field with an impressive Round 3.

It capped the meet with a high score of 316.60, eight points better than the next closest team.

“They did a fabulous job in Round 3, and you can’t ask for anything more,” Bailey said. “They were under the most pressure they could be going last and everybody had stuck their cheers. There was two points separating us, and they nailed it.”

Bailey took a different approach to this year’s Finals and didn’t put extra pressure on the team with high expectations.

“We tried to really focus on celebrating our year today, that it wasn’t a competition,” she said. “It was a celebration of our year from the start, and we really focused on having fun. All the work was over, and this is what the hard work was for. They just needed to have a blast today.”

The squad, which featured five seniors, didn’t concentrate on anything but its own effort.

“The whole time nobody focused on a state title,” Martinus said. “We focused on going out to do our best. This (title) comes with it when you do your best.”

Sanford Meridian also had a breakthrough performance in earning its first top-two finish at the Finals.

This was the Mustangs’ third appearance, and they didn’t qualify last year after placing sixth at Regionals.

“We knew we could either take it or be within the top three,” longtime Sanford Meridian coach Val MacKenzie said. “I think our goal was met, and it was a goal we constantly worked toward.”

The Mustangs, who had no seniors on the roster, jumped into contention with a stellar Round 2 that accumulated the highest score of the day, 224.16.

“The girls have worked really hard this year and we’ve really concentrated on our Round 2 with our tumbling and getting back tucks, because we knew that’s what it was going to take to get us where we needed to be,” MacKenzie said. “I’m very proud of how they bought into the program, and they are so dedicated. They are just a good bunch of girls.”

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Hudson performs a routine on the way to winning the Division 4 title Saturday. (Middle) Sanford Meridian raises its runner-up trophy after its first top-two finish.

Stoney Creek Finishes Climb with Sweep

March 1, 2019

By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half

GRAND RAPIDS – Back in January, it didn’t look like this would be the breakthrough year for Rochester Hills Stoney Creek competitive cheer.

But the Cougars hit their stride at just the right time, overcoming a second-place conference finish by winning MHSAA District and Regional titles, then capping off their dream run with a Division 1 Finals championship Friday at the Delta Plex.

“I have a lot of different emotions right now, but the best one is knowing that our hard work over the past nine months has paid off,” said Stoney Creek senior Mandy Lilla after the emotional win in front of more than 3,000 spectators.

Stoney Creek posted the highest score from the eight-team field in all three rounds, adding up to an impressive total of 792.72 and edging neighbor and Oakland Activities Association Red rival Rochester Adams (788.90). Grandville placed third at 787.18.

The title was the second for Stoney Creek, which also won Division 1 in 2010.

The Cougars have had a solid program ever since, with a fourth-place finish last winter, but were never able to get back to the top spot until Friday night.

Tricia Williams, in her 17th season as Stoney Creek’s coach, said the maturity of this year’s team enabled the Cougars to continually improve.

“I could see this team growing week after week,” said Williams, who is assisted by Angela Gaabo. “We had a wonderful group of seniors and captains. January was not our month, but those seniors made sure that everyone stayed positive and kept tightening things up.”

The Cougars showed they were ready for business at the District with a 793.78 score, the best District total in the state. They followed that up with a Regional win and then took control of the Finals starting in Round 1.

Leading by almost four points heading into Round 3, Stoney Creek delivered a near-flawless final round performance under pressure, excelling in coordination, vocals and floor mobility, while adding many skill points with a series of stunts and lifts. In the process, the Cougars denied Grandville and Rochester Adams, the final two teams to compete in Round 3, the chance for a comeback.

It marked the second straight year that Rochester Adams took second, after coming up just short last year to Sterling Heights Stevenson. In fact, the Highlanders finished first or second in every competition this season.

“We had an amazing season,” said Brooke Miller, in her fifth year as Adams’ coach. “Everyone is so good in our conference that it just makes us all better. We overcame a lot of things today, including an injury in Round 1, so I’m very proud of our finish.”

Stoney Creek and Adams, competitive rivals all year, shared a special moment on the mat after the trophy and medals presentations – with hugs and congratulations all around.

“So many of those girls are friends and they all work so hard, so that was great to see,” Miller said.

Williams had a brief moment alone with the championship trophy, before getting swarmed by her blue-and-gold clad team.

The Division 1 title was especially sweet for the Cougars’ seven seniors – Claire Heritage, Renee Kehren, Lilla, Sophia Lipuma, Lauren Orlando, Elizabeth Vacante and Olivia Zajac.

“It feels incredible because these girls are my second family,” said Heritage, one of four captains along with Lilla and juniors Sophia Seneker and Lindsey Zanchetta. “We went through the highs and the lows together, but we always stayed positive and supported each other.” 

Brighton and Grand Blanc tied for fourth place, followed by 2018 champion Sterling Heights Stevenson, Utica Eisenhower and Hartland.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Rochester Hills Stoney Creek scored the highest in all three rounds at Friday's Division 1 Finals. (Middle) Rochester Adams followed its rival with its second straight runner-up finish.