Sports

Cheer team kicks it up a notch, sets sights on state

Casey
Curtis

(Back row, from left)
Coach Jennie Eller, Rachel Sowers, Kylie Trevis,
Ashlee-Morgan Eller, Julie Ardelan, Kayle Parker, Coach Alanna Sockley. (Middle row, from left) Rachel Pollack,
Jenny Haney, Libby Ardelan, April Smith, Alyssa
Johnson, Caralyn Debash,
Natalie Lukas. (Front row, from left) Jillian Seifert, Jacqueline
Mitchell, Ashley VanAtten, Katelyn
Eldridge and Trinette Coleman.

December 13, 2006 - Jumping and
gymnastic skills seem to be the strong points the girls on the Oxford varsity
competitive cheer team possess this season, and they plan on using those
assets to make it to number one in the Flint Metro League.

"They have a strong work ethic, they love to compete and continue to
improve each day," said Head Coach Alanna Stockley.

Out of the 17 girls on the team, nine are returning seniors with at least
three or four years of varsity experience.

Returning seniors include Ashlee-Morgan Eller, Ashley VanAtten,
Libby Ardelan, April Smith, Alyssa Johnson,
Natalie Lukas, Jenny Haney, Caralyn Debash and Rachel Pollack. Team captains this year are Debash, Ardelan and Smith.

Stockley said aside
from their main goal of placing first in the FML, she, as well as assistant
coach Jennie Eller, hopes to see the girls place in the top half of all the
competitions, win regionals and go to state for
the first time in Oxford's history.

Last year, the varsity girls finished third in FML and fifth at regionals.

While practicing four days a week and once a week with special gymnastics
trainers, Stockley said the girls will continue
to improve by working on their timing.

"We have a lot of experience, however, we need to keep working hard
and keep improving everyday," she said. "We cannot accept mediocre,
we have to be better. The sport is evolving and (it's) getting harder to
place at competitions, so we need to keep getting better too."

New to the competition this year is the chance to compete against smaller
schools, as opposed to Lake Orion and state champion Rochester, giving them a better chance to
win at regionals.

"As always, our biggest competition in the FML is Lapeer West," Stockley said.

Oxford will be
hosting an invitational on January 13 at 10 a.m. and the regionals on March 3.

The girls will travel to Stoney Creek this
Saturday for their first competition.