Plenty to cheer about for Richmond
March 6, 2012
Third, third and second.
Those are the places Richmond's cheer team had finished at Division 3 Finals over the last three seasons, respectively.
This winter, the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 the entire season -- and seemed destined to finish first for the first time in school history.
Richmond gets this week's Second Half team High 5 for finishing the run, scoring 781.838 point to claim the Division 3 championship Saturday at the Grand Rapids Delta Plex.
"This year, the focus has been on winning. They were not going to finish their season without bringing home this trophy," Richmond coach Kelli Matthes said. "To come into the championship undefeated and finish that way, that says an amazing thing for those kids."
Indeed, the Devils won all of their events this season on the way to a 16-point victory over reigning champion Comstock Park on Saturday. Richmond finished 27 points back of Comstock Park at the 2011 Final, making a strong recovery after losing a teammate to a knee injury during warm-ups.
Richmond relied on a few mottos this season, one about the success that comes with giving one's all, and the other about the price in suffering to be the best.
"We suffered last year, and we're living as champions this year," senior Kelsey Kasom said.
"We just stayed focused on ourselves," Matthes said. "I preached tunnel vision to our kids, and that's what we did."
Adams Leans on Finals Experience in Claiming 3rd-Straight Championship
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2022
GRAND RAPIDS – The Rochester Adams competitive cheer team had a veteran group of athletes who had been there, and done that.
The nine seniors departed the program on top by bringing home one last championship.
The Highlanders captured the Division 1 Final on Friday at the Delta Plex after a highly-competitive run at the title among all eight teams.
The margin of separation between them was less than nine points, but it was Rochester Adams emerging victorious as the Highlanders completed a rare three-peat.
“It just takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but there were 16 girls who have been here since the beginning of our first state title and they've just learned the ropes and they know what it takes,” Adams coach Brooke Miller said. “They just put their whole heart and soul out there today, and it really paid off.”
The Highlanders finished with a three-round total of 793.74 to edge runner-up and 2019 champion Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (791.36).
“I can't put it into words because everything has been leading up to this moment, and we've gotten so close together,” said senior Sabrina Lee, who’s been on varsity all four years.
“It just really means everything to ourselves, this third one, and we just really needed to prove it to ourselves and we finally did. I’m proud of what we put on that mat.”
The two-time reigning champions staked their claim early and snared the lead with their best Round 1 of the season.
“Round 1 was our peak, and we absolutely nailed it,” Miller said.
They followed with another top score in Round 2 (232.94) before entering the third round with a mere one-point lead over Rochester.
“Another great Round 2, and then we felt like we were ready to hit Round 3,” Miller said. “We had a couple of things that weren’t our absolute best, but we were so proud of ourselves for that.
“We had four girls who have been here all four years and some three years, and that leadership and experience were just absolutely valuable to our success today.”
Rochester Adams became the third school in Division 1 history to win three consecutive Finals titles, joining Rochester (which has done so multiple times) and Southgate Anderson.
“This has been a dream come true for us and only a few teams have ever done a three-peat,” senior Elizabeth Doran said. “To do it with my best friends and to make history for our school and to be a part of these teams has been incredible. I’m so sad to leave all of this.”
Stoney Creek secured its highest finish since winning its first championship in 2019.
“It’s a great honor,” Cougars coach Tricia Williams said. “There are a lot of great teams in our state and eight phenomenal teams here today. We just came out and wanted to put our three best rounds on the mat, and I think we did that. Coming out as runner-up feels fantastic.”
The Cougars jumped into second spot courtesy of a flawless third round effort. They tallied the highest Round 3 score of the night with an impressive 321.90.
“All the rounds were important, but we wanted to hit the third round and make sure we felt that feeling of being a team on that mat,” Williams said. “They were on fire, and there was not one deduction in that round. They hit it amazingly well, and I think our score showed that.”
PHOTOS (Top) Rochester Adams competes on the way to winning its third-straight Division 1 title Friday at the Delta Plex. (Middle) Rochester Hills Stoney Creek celebrates its runner-up finish. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)