Huskies Seniors Finish What They Restarted
March 5, 2016
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Breckenridge’s Dakota Colthorp was part of a group of wide-eyed and enthusiastic fifth graders who wanted to be involved in competitive cheer.
At the time, the high school didn’t have a team due to low numbers.
Seven years later, Colthorp and her elementary school classmates have become instrumental in helping restore the program to the dominant level it had been accustomed to in the 2000s.
Breckenridge captured its second straight MHSAA Division 4 Final on Saturday at The DeltaPlex.
The Huskies notched high scores in each round to tally a 767.68 and best runner-up Michigan Center (754.12).
“It’s incredibly special for us,” Colthorp said. “We didn’t have a team for awhile, and our group of seniors are the ones who brought it back. We started in fifth grade and have not left since. The seven of us went through middle school with this program and we helped rebuild it to where it is today. It’s incredible to say that we are back-to-back state champions.”
The senior class also included Kaitlyn Corson, Paige Guthrie, Alicia Gutierrez, Katie Mortensen, Justine Brabaw and Lindsey Reichard.
"It's very special because we've wanted this for a long time," Guthrie said. "We've had family members who have won before, and we wanted to do the same. My cousins cheered in 2007."
The seniors were motivated to end their high school careers with another top finish.
“For the seven of us, it’s the last time being able to do that,” Colthorp said. “So we made sure to give it our all and leave it all out on the mat. It might not have been perfect in the warm-up room, but we came together and gave it our best on the mat.
“We put in a lot of hard work in and it was very rewarding to be here and be able to bring home the trophy.”
The Huskies repeated for the first time since 2007, the last time they won an MHSAA Division 4 championship.
They won six Class C/D titles during a span of seven seasons from 2000-2006.
Breckenridge coach Deb Gaines recruited the seniors from that fifth-grade class.
“They were very committed and dedicated,” Gaines said. “They were key to our program coming back, and others followed. I think some of them had perfect attendance through the years. There were very few absences.”
Huskies co-coach Jenna Graham said the seniors have always been there to lend support.
“We’ve relied on them for motivation on and off the mat,” she said. “They’ve really tried to step up and be the leaders we needed this year. They’ve been here so long that we just expected that out of them and stepped up to it.”
It was a different environment this season for Breckenridge than the last time they were here. The Huskies were now the team everyone was chasing.
“They were just here to do their thing last year, no pressure,” Graham said. “But this year was different. We had to defend that title. Defend and repeat has been our motto all season.”
Added Gaines: “It’s hard to repeat in anything. We just had to keep stepping up our game and going for it. Rounds 1 and 2 were exceptionally strong, and in Round 3 they just delivered.”
Round 3 did have early drama for the Huskies. They had a nearly seven-point cushion entering the final round; however, an early fall tested their resolve.
“We were hoping to have that lead so there was a little room for error,” Graham said. “We trained them how to deal with that when it happens.”
“Anything can happen out there,” Gaines said. “It’s all about how you recover and how you fight back harder.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Breckenridge dominated the first two rounds Saturday to repeat as Division 4 champion. (Middle) Michigan Center improved one spot from 2015 to finish runner-up.
D1 Preview: Opportunities Abound
March 1, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A year ago, Sterling Heights Stevenson won its first MHSAA Finals in competitive cheer. Five more Division 1 teams will look to do the same at Friday’s Division 1 championship meet at the Grand Rapids Delta Plex.
But the past champs will provide plenty of competition. Stevenson is back, Grandville has won six times and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek appears primed to win for the first time since 2010.
Below are glances at all eight teams competing Friday. Round 1 begins at 6 p.m. and the event in its entirety will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis. Click here for the Finals draws and other important information.
BRIGHTON
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West and overall
Coach: Christina Wilson, seventh season
Championship history: Class A runner-up 1999.
Top score: 787.48 at the Regional.
Team composition: 22 total (nine seniors, six juniors, three sophomores, four freshmen)
Outlook: After missing the Finals last season by half a point, Brighton is back with a runner-up finish at its Regional and fourth straight District championship. The Bulldogs’ average total score of 779.7 ranks fourth in Division 1, and Brighton won eight of 10 events it cheered at this winter. Senior Kylie Neal made the all-District first team last season.
GRAND BLANC
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: Christina Swansey, eighth season
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 788.56 at Regional.
Team composition: 25 total (four seniors, 11 juniors, seven sophomores, three freshmen)
Outlook: Grand Blanc finished fourth at last season’s Finals and has surged into this weekend with league, District and Regional championships. Its average total score of 779.8 ranks third in Division 1, and its best Round 3 score of 320.7 ranks fourth. Most of last year’s standouts are leading the way again: senior Alyssa Sornson made the all-state first team last season, while senior Rachel Zelley and junior Lanya Bates made the second and junior Jacquelyn Engel and sophomore Mackenzie Hummel earned honorable mentions.
GRANDVILLE
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Julie Smith-Boyd, 38th season
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), nine runner-up finishes.
Top score: 789.02 at the District.
Team composition: 29 total (10 seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores, six freshmen)
Outlook: Last season’s sixth-place finisher has won two of its championships this decade and could contend for another this weekend riding six straight scores above 780. Its Round 3 is especially strong, with its best score ranking fifth in Division 1 at 320.6. Senior Hailey Brower made the all-state second team last season, and senior Mackenzie Corey earned honorable mention.
HARTLAND
League finish: Second in KLAA West
Coach: Candace Fahr, second season
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2013.
Top score: 783.96 at the Regional.
Team composition: 20 total (seven seniors, eight juniors, two sophomores, three freshmen)
Outlook: Hartland is returning to the Finals for the first time since 2015 after finishing third or better in nine of 11 events this winter. Round 3 also is the Eagles’ strength, as its best score of 319.8 ranks ninth in Division 1. Seniors Moriah Sweet and Macy Bonar both earned all-Region recognition last season.
ROCHESTER HILLS STONEY CREEK
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Tricia Williams, 17th season
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2010.
Top score: 793.78 at the District.
Team composition: 26 total (seven seniors, seven juniors, 10 sophomores, two freshmen)
Outlook: After finishing fourth last season, Stoney Creek has blasted into this weekend as the possible favorite coming off Regional and District wins. The District score shown above is the highest in Division 1 this season, and Stoney Creek also has posted the top Round 1 (239.4), Round 2 (232.6), Round 3 (322) and average total scores (782) this winter. Seniors Renee Kehren and Mandy Lilla earned all-state honorable mentions last season.
ROCHESTER ADAMS
League finish: First in OAA Red
Coach: Brooke Miller, fifth season
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2018, Class A runner-up 1996.
Top score: 792.32 at the District.
Team composition: 23 total (seven seniors, six juniors, six sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Adams has finished first or second in every event this season, including ahead of Stoney Creek at the league final. The Highlanders rank just behind Stoney Creek with the second-highest Round 2 (tied – 232.3) and Round 3 (321.2) scores in Division 1 this season, and also with the second highest total score. Seniors Amanda Lee and Taylor Mickens and junior Katie Crowe made the all-state second team last season, and junior Lyndi Harmon earned honorable mention.
STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON
League finish: Second in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Brianna Verdoodt, 14th season
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2018, two runner-up finishes.
Top score: 786.84.
Team composition: 26 total (14 juniors, eight sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: A team that graduated 10 seniors and had no juniors when it won the title a year ago is now led by a large group of juniors. Stevenson has scored 780 or higher six times this season including to win its District, and its top Round 1 score (238.8) ranks second in Division 1 while its best Round 3 (321.2) ranks third. Juniors Sophia Costa, Ava Baich and Alexis Juncaj all earned all-state honorable mentions last season.
UTICA EISENHOWER
League finish: First in MAC Red
Coach: Kristy Potance, first season
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 790.76 at the District.
Team composition: 23 total (10 seniors, five juniors, eight sophomores)
Outlook: Eisenhower will compete at the Finals for the first time, led by first-year coach Potance – who brought to the program her two decades of success including at the California high school level. The Eagles have scored at least 790 twice, with their high score ranking third this season in Division 1, and their best Round 1 (238.4), Round 2 (232.1) and Round 3 (320.4) scores all among the top six. Senior Amanda Beger earned all-District honorable mention last season.
PHOTO: Rochester Hills Stoney Creek competes at its Regional last weekend; the Cougars won the meet. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)