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.
Falcons Giving Coach Champion Send-Off
February 21, 2018
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
KENTWOOD – As a freshman, Kylie Dunn remembers when she received the letter stating that she had made the East Kentwood competitive cheer team.
“When I got on the team I was super thankful to Coach, and I’ve been working my butt off just to prove to her how thankful I was for her to take me on the team,” Dunn said. “And I just think that since this is her last year, and this is my last year, it makes it even more special that we get to end it together.”
Dunn, one of nine seniors on this year’s roster, is currently helping make this season a memorable one for departing coach Stacy Geerts.
Geerts announced before the winter began that this would be her final one, ending a successful 25-year coaching career that has included the past 17 years at East Kentwood.
“I think it’s time,” Geerts said. “The last couple years I’ve been saying this might be my last year, but then there are those girls that I start coaching that I can’t see myself not being there for the four years.”
Geerts, who’s guided the Falcons to 14 MHSAA Finals appearances and a pair of runner-up finishes (2004 and 2010), will pass the reins of the program to former athlete Alona Blake.
Blake was on Geerts’ first competitive cheer team at East Kentwood.
“I went into it already knowing that I wanted it to be my last year and I wanted to make sure I was leaving it in good hands,” Geerts said. “I didn’t want to leave and have some random person take over my program. She has been with me for a while, and I know she will be awesome.”
The No. 4-ranked Falcons are in the midst of a banner run after enjoying regular-season success that has spilled over to the postseason.
East Kentwood has won nine meets, the most of any team in Geerts’ career, and recently claimed an Ottawa-Kent Conference Red and Division 1 District championships.
The Falcons’ success, however, wasn’t necessarily forecasted.
“Last year we lost a lot of seniors that were pretty crucial to this team, so I thought it was going to be a rebuilding year,” East Kentwood senior Sophie Bensyl said. “But on that first day of practice, I just knew there was something special. Once we got into it and started working, we knew we would go far.”
Even Geerts had early doubts about whether this team could reach greater heights.
“I did not know they were going to be as good as they have turned out to be,” Geerts said. “I knew they had the talent, and the leadership with the seniors would be good, but I did not know to the extent of how good this team would be.”
This year’s squad has combined humility, desire and work ethic to become one of the state’s best.
“The girls have been amazing,” Geerts said. “We win on a Saturday and they come back Monday and don’t act like they’ve ever won. They just come back and want to work that much harder, and this is the hardest working team I have ever coached.
“We don’t have a weak round this year, and they are humble and hungry all the time to win. It’s been a dream year, and I could not have written out a better year for my story to end this way.”
Dunn has been excited about the growth and commitment from the entire team.
“This is my 10th year of cheering and I’ve never been on a team full of so many dedicated and hard-working girls,” she said. “It’s like all the puzzle pieces are coming together for my last year, and I love this team.”
“It’s the most fun I’ve had in competitive cheer, and our team is something special,” Bensyl added. “We have a bond like no other, and it’s really cool to be able to be together every day at practice and at competitions.”
Other key standouts on the squad include seniors Ciara Green and Macy Brown, sophomores Trinity Nery, Ajla Zukic and Shelly Pham and junior Autumn Burns.
After a lengthy string of consecutive solid showings at the Finals, the Falcons failed to advance in 2015, and they missed out again last season.
The goal this year was to return to the Finals, and they will get the opportunity Saturday at the Regional at Brighton.
The top four teams advance to the Finals, March 2 at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex.
“We have a tough region, but our District is as hard as our region and we compete in such a tough conference,” Geerts said. “The competition just makes us better every week, and we don’t compare ourselves to anybody. We are just out to do the best we can, and if they can do the best they can do without mistakes then we will win.
“That has been proven week after week, and I’m hoping that holds true for Regionals.”
And what would it mean if the Falcons can make a trip to the Finals?
“It gives me butterflies just thinking about it,” Dunn said. “It would show that all of our hard work is paying off and the hours of practice we do every day mean something. We are very privileged to be on a team where we have an amazing coach and amazing girls on the team. Not everyone gets to have that.”
Added Bensyl: “This is the last season for the seniors and for Coach, so we’re pretty motivated to do that for her. This is her year to go out big.”
Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) East Kentwood competes on its home floor this season. (Middle) The Falcons celebrate one of their championships this winter. (Photos courtesy of the East Kentwood competitive cheer program.)