Plainwell wins G-K cheer invite

Sunday,
February 04, 2007

By Leah
Soubly

[email-masked]
388-8400

PLAINWELL -- Rachel
Whitney and Sarah Myles are four-year members of Plainwell's cheer squad, and
this season are serving as captains.

So it was fitting that the
two seniors, who met in preschool and are best friends, played such a large
role in the Trojans' victory Saturday at the Greater Kalamazoo Competitive
Cheer Invitational.

Whitney and Myles co-wrote
the words that echoed across Plainwell's gym in the Trojans' Round 3 routine,
pushing the home team's total to 693.7 points -- enough for a narrow victory
over Mattawan (689.6) in the nine-team event.

``It's amazing to do this
in our senior year,'' Whitney said. ``It's a great way to go out.''

Said Mattawan coach
Nichole Cerutti, ``We have broken our scores from
last year. We've just been working hard to improve our scores. That's
something we focus on every week.''

The 12 Plainwell athletes
on the mat in Round 3 executed precise tumbling, flawless stunting and strong
vocals to clinch the victory.

``We were in our own gym,
so I was hoping we would pull it off,'' Plainwell coach Sara Snow said.
``They did. They came together and they just had a good, fun, relaxing day.''

The key to the victory,
Whitney said, was riding the adrenaline of the day to a strong start in Round
1. The Trojans did just that, building a lead of 6.5 points entering Round 2
-- the phase that has caused Plainwell some trouble this season.

Plainwell, which earned
honorable-mention status in the latest Division 2 state rankings, performed
well in Round 2 and remained in first on its way to another victory.

``We've been really
working on our Round 2, because that was our weakest link,'' Snow said. ``It
all finally came together. That was definitely our best and that's what kept
us in the lead.''

As strong as the Trojans
were on Saturday, Myles said they can be better.

``We kind of expected a
little bit better at the beginning of the year,'' she said, ``because we
didn't lose any girls. But we're pulling it together.''

``Regionals is what counts,'' Whitney added.

After meeting Whitney in
preschool, Myles moved to Ohio
for several years before returning to Plainwell in eighth grade. She and
Whitney reconnected and went out for cheerleading their freshman year.

``We built this program to
sort of what it is now,'' Whitney said.

And now, the Trojans' are
continuously increasing their scores every meet.

``Every competition, we've
been building, and this is definitely our highest score of the season by a
lot,'' Snow said.

Otsego finished third with
689 points, less than one point behind Mattawan. The Bulldogs held second
after Rounds 1 and 2, but dropped in the final round after Mattawan, ranked
seventh in Division 2, delivered a clutch routine in Round 3.

``Mattawan and Plainwell
are both Division 2 and we are Division 3, so I'm really proud of my girls,''
Otsego coach Nicole Thompson said.

``They hung right with the
big dogs.''

Otsego, ranked sixth in
Division 3, recorded its highest score of the season with a 200.6 in Round 2.