Richmond Remains No. 1 in D3
March 2, 2013
By Dean Holzwarth
Special to Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Every time the Richmond competitive cheer team exited the mat after each round of the MHSAA Division 3 Final, its faithful supporters in the stands at the DeltaPlex showered down a rousing chant: “Back-to-Back”
The Blue Devils were more than willing to fulfill their fans' desire.
Richmond became the first Division 3 team to repeat after edging Pontiac Notre Dame Prep on Saturday for the title.
The Blue Devils, who won the program's first Division 3 crown last season following a runner-up finish in 2011, posted a three-round score of 768.64, while the Fighting Irish finished fewer than three points back at 765.84.
“Last year was special because it was the first one. But to do it back-to-back is really hard, and it has never been done in our division,” Richmond coach Kelli Matthes said. “And that's been our goal all year, and their theme has been to do what has never been done before. They came in today, and they just owned it from beginning to end.
“Sure we had some bumps and bruises along the way, and things weren't completely perfect today. But they did what they needed to do and they came out on top.”
Richmond's Joanna Fenwick, one of seven seniors on the team, said the Blue Devils had doubts after placing runners-up in Districts.
“It was a really rough year because we were District runner-up, and we lost faith, and then we went to Regionals and nailed it,” she said. “I love my team so much, and I couldn't ask for a better coach. This is the best feeling in the world, especially as a senior.”
The Blue Devils, who won the Blue Water Area Conference, set the tone early with a strong Round 1 and scored a 232.2 to grab the lead.
They extended their advantage to seven points after an impressive Round 2.
“I thought the first round was absolutely amazing and breathtaking, and the second round was really strong for us,” Matthes said. “Our signature move, the heel stretch, was a little shaky, but they bounced back from that and nailed their back tuck.
“The third round they needed to go out and do what they needed to do because it was up to everybody else to catch us.”
Notre Dame Prep made a late charge with a phenomenal Round 3 performance that resulted in a Finals-high score of 316.1.
The Fighting Irish's creative and energetic round helped them leapfrog Grosse Ile and secure their first MHSAA runner-up finish.
“Our third round cheer is the one we are most proud of,” Notre Dame Prep co-coach Beth Campbell said. “The team loves to perform it, and it is a crowd pleaser. Every time we do that cheer, the girls light up, and the best thing we have going for us is that round. It's a wonderful feeling.”
Notre Dame Prep entered the Finals as the top-ranked team in Division 3, while Richmond was No. 2.
“We beat them a couple times this year, and it was a neck-and-neck battle all season long,” Campbell said. “Tonight, it was their day, but we're going to come back fighting just as hard next year.”
Ironically, Matthes was Campbell's high school cheer coach at Lake Orion.
“I couldn't be prouder of her being one of my old kids, and it is really neat for the two of us to be standing here with trophies in our hands,” Matthes said. “It's cool to see what she is doing right now.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Richmond cheers during its Round 3 at Saturday's Division 3 Final in Grand Rapids. (Middle) Runner-up Pontiac Notre Dame cheers during its Round 1. (Bottom) Richmond poses with the championship trophy for the second-straight season. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
D2 Preview: Downriver Powers Rising to Lead Another Finals Charge
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 4, 2022
A return of full Downriver League power will make Saturday morning’s Competitive Cheer Final feel much more like what we’re used to from Division 2.
Allen Park is back at Grand Rapids’ Delta Plex seeking a third-consecutive championship, and Gibraltar Carlson is returning after a year away and still sits second on the all-time championships list with 11. Southgate Anderson is a three-time Finals champ, and together they finished first-third in the league and their Regional over these last many weeks.
Division 2 competition begins at 10 a.m. Saturday. Tickets cost $10 and may be bought at the Delta Plex, and all four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable with a subscription. More information, including the spectator seating chart, is posted at MHSAA.com.
Below is a look at all eight finalists:
ALLEN PARK
League finish: First in Downriver League
Coach: Julie Goodwin, 17th season
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2021), four runner-up finishes.
Top score: 794.16.
Team composition: 28 total (nine seniors, 11 juniors, six sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: The Jaguars are competing for a third-straight Division 2 title and seventh-straight top-two Finals finish. They are again undefeated heading into Finals weekend, having broken 790 points in five of their last six competitions. Many of the team’s leaders have championship experience and multiple all-state honors – seniors Adreanna Carone and Cassidy Kuhn and junior Emma Buffa are returning first-team selections from 2021, while senior Cassidy Reardon and junior Kristine Beste made the second team last season and juniors Madisyn Setser and Emma Williams earned honorable mentions.
CEDAR SPRINGS
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold
Coach: Katy Hradsky, first season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 755.08.
Team composition: 17 total (nine seniors, one junior, six sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Cedar Springs is making its fourth-straight trip to the Finals and improved from seventh in 2020 to sixth last season. This will be the first appearance with Hradsky as head coach, but she was a major part of the program as the junior varsity coach the previous eight seasons after serving as co-head coach at Sparta from 2011-13. Cedar Springs posted its second-highest score, 753.58, to finish Regional runner-up. Senior Abbey Salisbury made the all-state second team last season.
DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Bishop
Co-coaches: Amber Genevich, 19th season; Shelley Popiel, fifth season
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2011-14.
Top score: 782.86
Team composition: 20 total (three seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores, seven freshmen)
Outlook: Divine Child is returning to the Finals after two seasons away, riding a wave of strong scores with four straight of 761 or better and three of those reaching at least 773. Senior Makenna Yost and juniors Reese Eberth both earned all-Regional recognition last season.
DEWITT
League finish: Third in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Coach: Candace Heskitt, 14th season
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up in 2020, 2015 and 2007.
Top score: 765.86 at Regional.
Team composition: 25 total (five seniors, four juniors, five sophomores, 11 freshmen).
Outlook: The Panthers have moved up from sixth in 2019 to third in 2020 to runner-up last season and enter this weekend coming off their first competition championship of this season. DeWitt is trending upward with its four highest scores coming in its four most recent events. Senior Anneliese Phillips made the all-state second team last season, and senior Hilary Ballard earned honorable mention.
GIBRALTAR CARLSON
League finish: Second in Downriver League
Coach: Alyssa Tocco, first season
Championship history: 11 MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), six runner-up finishes.
Top score: 790.18 at District
Team composition: 23 total (three seniors, nine juniors, three sophomores, eighth freshmen).
Outlook: Carlson is back at the Finals having finished first or second in Division 2 every season from 2008-20. Tocco is a past three-time Division 2 runner-up as an athlete on Allen Park’s team and a national runner-up collegiately, and served as an assistant at Plymouth the last five seasons before taking over the Marauders. They’ve finished first or second at all of their competitions this winter. The team didn’t compete during the 2021 postseason, but senior Destiny Rogers earned an all-state honorable mention in 2020 as a sophomore on that Finals runner-up team.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN
League finish: First in O-K White
Coach: Carly Sienkiewicz, fifth season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 757.04
Team composition: 18 total (two seniors, nine juniors, five sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: Forest Hills Northern is returning to the Finals for the first time since 1998 after winning its second-straight league title and reaching Regionals for the second time in three seasons. The Huskies’ top four scores have come over their four most recent competitions, including in winning the District title with a 756.82 two weeks ago. Junior Julie Fiser earned all-District recognition last season as FHN just missed advancing.
MUSKEGON REETHS-PUFFER
League finish: Second in O-K Green
Coach: Lisabeth Smith, first season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 750.64 at Regional
Team composition: 23 total (four seniors, nine juniors, three sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Reeths-Puffer is returning to the Finals for the first time since 2018, after winning its District and posting its top score in finishing third at the Regional. Smith is a past Reeths-Puffers cheer athlete and coached in the program immediately after graduation, later taking over the Muskegon High program before taking a few years off and returning to coach the Rockets this winter. Reeths-Puffer just missed the Finals last season, but seniors Lillyanna Schoonbeck and Summer Curtis, junior Makenna Anthony and sophomore Kendall Eek all earned all-Regional recognition.
SOUTHGATE ANDERSON
League finish: Third in Downriver League.
Coach: Colette Norscia, 19th season
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Top score: 782.44 at District.
Team composition: 22 total (four seniors, 10 juniors, three sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: Anderson improved from sixth in 2020 to a close fifth last season, and its top score this season is more than six points higher than heading into last year’s Finals. The Titans have surpassed 771 three times and 761 in seven competitions. Senior Savannah Thomas and juniors Bella Plonka and Alexis Morris earned all-Regional recognition last season.
PHOTO Allen Park competes during last year’s Round 1 at Breslin Center. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)