Lowell cheer coach happy with second-place
finish

Thursday,
January 11, 2007

By
Kelly Hill

The Grand Rapids Press

SARANAC -- As she held the
second-place trophy Wednesday night at Saranac
High School, Lowell competitive cheer coach Cari Dawson called her Red Arrows' performance a victory.

The Red Arrows finished
second to Pewamo-Westphalia on Wednesday night in the five-team Saranac
Invitational. The Pirates, who won four consecutive Class C state
championships from 1994-97 and Class C-D state titles in 1999 and 2003, won
the invitational with 425 points. Lowell
was second, with 382. Saranac, which competed without three of its usual
members, finished fifth, with 326.60 points.

"This is a young
team, we only have four seniors, and Pewamo-Westphalia is a huge
program," Dawson
said. "They have won more state championships than years these girls
have been alive. This is a win in our book."

Lowell's four seniors are Lisa Nugent, Tori Ruesink, Stacey Janeschek and Kaylyn Koza.

"I started at Lowell four years ago and those girls were freshmen, so
they have stayed with me," Dawson
said.

The Red Arrows, who are
scheduled to compete Jan. 20 at Chippewa Hills, posted a score of 107 in the
first round Wednesday night, recorded 106.60 in the second round and scored
168.5 in the third round.

Saranac, which competed
with only six girls Wednesday night but which expects to have its three
missing cheerleaders back in the lineup this season, scored 98.5, 92.10 and
136 in its three rounds.

"We made a lot of
changes recently," Saranac coach Katie Hardy said. "We revamped
everything since Saturday, because we had a little smaller team than we are
used to. It's tough to change things Saturday morning for a competition
Wednesday night."

Saranac has been hosting
its competitive cheer invitational since 1999.

"Pewamo-Westphalia
has been coming here for eight years," Hardy said. "We like to
support each other."

Saranac, which has been
led this season by seniors Stephanie Cahoon, Denise
Denman and Sarah McDermott, is scheduled to compete Jan. 24 at Lakewood.