Michigan Center Seniors Finish 4 for 4
March 1, 2014
By Dean Holzwarth
Special to Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Four years, four MHSAA championships.
Not a bad way to remember your high school career in competitive cheer.
Michigan Center seniors Paula Stone, Paige Rochefort and Sierra Sharrer always will have those memories after the trio helped their team win an unprecedented fourth consecutive MHSAA Division 4 Final on Saturday at the DeltaPlex.
The Cardinals recorded a three-round score of 745.12 and hung on to edge runner-up Merrill (743.12) by a mere two points. Hudson (734.52) finished a distant third.
Stone, Rochefort and Sharrer have been on the varsity all four years and contributed to each title.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Stone said. “It’s like everything you’ve ever worked for paid off. It didn’t really hit me until I got off the mat after Round 3. It just hit me, and I was like, ‘Wow’, this is the last time I’ll ever take the mat. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Michigan Center claimed last year’s Final with only one senior. A group of six seniors mixed with talented juniors and sophomores to produce another banner campaign.
The Cardinals won nine consecutive meets to cap the season.
“I really wanted it for this group of seniors,” Michigan Center coach Jessica Trefry said. “Three of them have been on the other state championship teams, and they are a wonderful group of girls. I wanted this for them so badly.”
The fourth didn’t come without a few anxious moments.
Michigan Center built a sizable lead after two strong rounds. However, a bobble during its Round 3 routine put the outcome in doubt.
“They did their jobs in Rounds 1 and 2, but we faltered a little bit in Round 3,” Trefry said. “It made me nervous.”
Rochefort remained confident that the Cardinals would still prevail.
“I had faith in my team that we could clean it up at the end, and I was so glad that we still finished strong no matter what had happened,” she said. “We pulled it together, and we didn’t let it define us.”
Trefry said the team’s work ethic and determination factored into this year’s success.
“It’s different every single year, but this group of girls were incredibly hard workers and very persistent with improving,” she said. “They were not afraid to be challenged, and I told them leading up to today that if you just go out and do your job like you’ve been doing all season, then you will win. I knew we had what it took.”
Merrill coach Courtney Schiller, whose team was making its sixth trip to the Finals, was equally elated with her team’s finish – the highest in school history at the MHSAA championship competition.
The Vandals, who had the smallest team in Division 4 with only nine girls, placed fourth the past two years. They finally got over the hump and into the top two for the first time.
“We’ve never finished this high so we’re very excited about that, and we’re very excited about how close it was,” Schiller said. “We were two points from a state championship. We only have nine girls and we’re always one of the smallest teams here, so to see these girls excel the way they did today was thrilling.”
Despite competing with only five girls in Round 3, Merrill delivered the highest score of the afternoon. A 298.1 put a scare into Michigan Center.
“We struggled a little bit at Regionals last week and came in fourth against teams that came in third and fourth today,” Schiller said. “To see them come out of a tough position at Regionals and come back from that today just makes me extremely proud. We wanted to have our best three rounds today, and we did.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Michigan Center performs its Round 1 routine during Saturday’s Division 4 championship run. (Middle) Merrill, here during Round 2, posted its highest MHSAA Finals finish. (Click for action and team photos from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Preview: Could Friday Finals See New Challengers?
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 25, 2021
Friday's MHSAA Division 1 and 3 Competitive Cheer Finals at Michigan State University's Breslin Center will include the reigning champions from both divisions and a handful of other contenders we're used to seeing compete during the season's final weekend.
But could this also be another opportunity for a new contender to break through? Rochester Adams won its first championship last season in Division 1, but Plymouth also finished among the top two for the first time. Richmond and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep seem to trade off being the best in Division 3, but Paw Paw is undefeated this season and Croswell-Lexington is another program on the rise.
Spectators will be limited at Friday's Finals, but both will be viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv. Division 3 begins competition at 10 a.m., with Division 1 at 3 p.m.
Here's a glance at all eight teams competing in each of those divisions (with Division 2 and 4 previews to be published later Friday):
Division 1
BRIGHTON
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West.
Coach: Christina Wilson, seventh season
Championship history: Class A runner-up 1999.
Top score: 788.38.
Team composition: 22 total (five seniors, 10 juniors, two sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: Brighton, which also won the overall KLAA title, will be making its fourth Finals appearance in five seasons and is looking to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish at a very tightly-contested Division 1 meet. Brighton’s last three overall scores this season have been 781 or higher to go with wins at the KLAA, District and Regional meets. Seniors Sage Spangler, Gabrielle Ditto and Riley Harvill earned all-region recognition last season.
BROWNSTOWN WOODHAVEN
League finish: Did not compete in a league this season.
Coach: Tara Hazey, 10th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 783.9.
Team composition: 24 total (four seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, 15 freshmen).
Outlook: Woodhaven is returning to the Finals for the first time since 1995, the latest in a string of accomplishments the last few seasons that also included the program’s first District title in 2019. The Warriors have scored at least 770 points three of their last four competitions. Seniors Marla Matatall, Marisela Vazquez and Brooke Sadlowski and junior Kennedy Stewart earned all-district honors last season.
GRAND BLANC
League finish: Did not compete in a league this season.
Coach: Christina Swansey, 10th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 782.8.
Team composition: 21 total (four seniors, seven juniors, seven sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Grand Blanc competed only four times this season, but the Bobcats made them count scoring at least 770 at all four and winning their District. They just missed its first top-two Finals finish a year ago, coming in third but less than two points off the lead. Senior Isabella Andre made the all-state second team last season, and junior Jackie Kloph earned an honorable mention.
GRANDVILLE
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red.
Coach: Julie Smith-Boyd, 40th season
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), nine runner-up finishes.
Top score: 784.44.
Team composition: 23 total (three seniors, eight juniors, three sophomores, 10 freshmen).
Outlook: Despite missing last season’s Finals, Grandville is among a group of near-yearly qualifiers and finished top-two as recently as 2016. The Bulldogs have scored 780 points four times this winter including to win their District and finish second at their Regional. Seniors Charli Sanchez, Chloe Beatty, Ellie Irwin and juniors Elyse Friberg and Ashley Lam earned all-district recognition last season.
LAKE ORION
League finish: Third in Oakland Activities Association Red.
Coach: Niki Hills, seventh season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 784.02.
Team composition: 27 total (seven seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Lake Orion is another Finals regular and finished seventh last season. The Dragons have scored 772 or higher their last six competitions, and finished second at their District less than two points off the lead. Senior Tara Koncelik made the all-state first team last season.
PLYMOUTH
League finish: First in KLAA East.
Coach: Samantha Kerr, sixth season
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2020.
Top score: 788.66 at District.
Team composition: 32 total (five seniors, 13 juniors, 10 sophomores, four freshmen)
Outlook: Plymouth posted its top Finals finish ever just a year ago and could be building toward another grand finale with scores of 780 or better its last four competitions. The Wildcats won their District and finished second at both the KLAA overall conference meet and their Regional. Juniors Allison Cassar, Avery Maruszewski and Natalia Muzquiz made the all-state first team last season.
ROCHESTER ADAMS
League finish: First in OAA Red.
Coach: Brooke Miller, seventh season
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2020, three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 791.96.
Team composition: 28 total (seven seniors, 10 juniors, nine sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: After finishing Division 1 runner-up two straight seasons, Adams claimed its first title in 2020 and might be the team to chase again this weekend. The Highlanders have scored at least 790 points in four meets and won every competition but one where they finished second. Seniors Claire Crutchfield and Olivia Ris made the all-state first team last winter, senior Ava Bondra and juniors Julia Schultz and Christina Truszkowski made the second team and seniors Carly Schultz and Melina Catenacci and junior Sabrina Lee earned honorable mentions.
ROCHESTER HILLS STONEY CREEK
League finish: Second in OAA Red.
Coach: Tricia Williams, 18th season
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2019 and 2010.
Top score: 788.48.
Team composition: 19 total (three seniors, 11 juniors, one sophomore, four freshmen).
Outlook: Stoney Creek is another frequent Finals participant back after missing the trip a year ago. The Cougars have scored at least 783 points at three competitions including in finishing third at their Regional. Senior Avery McNamara and junior Ella DeGraw earned all-region recognition in 2020.
Division 3
ALMA
League finish: Second in Tri-Valley Conference.
Coach: Kelly Gibson, second season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two finish.
Top score: 714.78 at Regional.
Team composition: 15 total (six seniors, three juniors, three sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Alma was a solid second in the TVC, taking second at all four league competitions and scoring at least 675 at all four. Gibson is only four years removed from cheering for the Panthers and led them to a league title in her first season a year ago. Seniors Christa Fornusek and Victoria Gotaas earned all-region honors last season.
BATTLE CREEK PENNFIELD
League finish: Second in Interstate 8 Athletic Conference.
Coach: Kristen Tucker, sixth season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 720.86 at Regional.
Team composition: 19 total (nine seniors, four juniors, six sophomores).
Outlook: After making Regionals for the fourth straight season, Pennfield took the next step with third place to make it to this weekend’s meet. The Panthers also won three invitationals during the regular season. Seniors Makayla Woolman, Jaidyn Pike and Cathrine Govier and juniors Madison Bommersbach and Delainee Etheridge earned all-district recognition last winter.
COMSTOCK PARK
League finish: First in O-K Silver.
Coach: Hayley Strickland, third season
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2011), four runner-up finishes.
Top score: 757.66.
Team composition: 22 total (six seniors, five juniors, seven sophomores, four freshmen)
Outlook: The Panthers finished fifth at last season’s Finals and followed up by placing first or second at all but one competition this season. They’ve scored less than 700 points only once and at least 730 in four straight meets. Senior Madison Kucharczyk is a returning all-state first teamer, seniors Shanthony Taylor and Niyah Gill made the second team last season and sophomore Delaney Geraghty earned honorable mention.
CROSWELL-LEXINGTON
League finish: Second in Blue Water Area Conference.
Coach: Katie Tomlinson, sixth season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 767.76 at District.
Team composition: 17 total (three seniors, five juniors, five sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Last season’s fourth-place finisher was within five points of coming in runner-up. The Pioneers have gone over 755 points four times this winter and 764 or higher in both of their last two meets. Juniors Taylor Johnson and Ashley Peyerk made the all-state second team last season, and junior Sage Kellerman earned an honorable mention.
FLAT ROCK
League finish: First in Huron League.
Coach: Katelynne Zipfel, second season
Championship history: Class C-D champion 1998, two runner-up finishes.
Top score: Not submitted.
Team composition: 17 total (six seniors, six juniors, three sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: Flat Rock scored 742 at its District and 762 at its Regional on the way back to the Finals. The Rams finished third at both but also within three points of winning both – and the Regional included annual powers Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Croswell-Lexington and Richmond. Seniors Kassandra Corrujedo and Kylee Marrow earned all-region in 2020.
PAW PAW
League finish: First in Wolverine Conference.
Coach: Stefanie Miller, 12th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 779.44.
Team composition: 22 total (four seniors, eight juniors, four sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Paw Paw finished third last season, only two points out of second, and has won every competition it has competed in this season. Paw Paw has scored at least 770 points four times and 776 or more the last three. Senior Mackenzie Miller and junior Paige Miller made the all-state first team last season, juniors Rylee Goldberg and Alexis Sunlin made the second and junior Gabby Oh earned an honorable mention.
PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Coach: Beth Lockhart, eighth season
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 772.34 at District.
Team composition: 24 total (five seniors, six juniors, five sophomores, eight freshmen).
Outlook: Last season’s runner-up finish was Notre Dame Prep’s second straight and eighth-consecutive top-two finish in Division 3. The Fighting Irish bounced back from finishing second to Richmond at the District to winning their Regional. Senior Olivia Duoba is a returning all-state first teamer, juniors Grace Byrne and Riley Lumm and sophomore Raylynn Quasarano made the second and senior Sydney Hoeppner earned an honorable mention.
RICHMOND
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference.
Coach: Kelli Matthes, 13th season
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), five runner-up finishes.
Top score: 781.87 at District.
Team composition: 23 total (one senior, eight juniors, eight sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Richmond has won the last two Division 3 titles and finished first or second nine of the last 10 seasons. The Blue Devils’ low score is 744.44 and they won all of their competitions before finishing fourth at the Regional – but still, only 4.1 points out of first that day. Juniors Makenna Parker and Gracie Ellis made the all-state first team last season, and junior Ava Moskwa made the second team.
PHOTO: Paw Paw competes in Round 1 of last season's Division 3 Competitive Cheer Finals.