Comstock Park cheer proves who is No. 1

Sunday,
February 11, 2007

By Cris Greer

The Grand Rapids Press

WALKER -- Comstock Park's
competitive cheer team proved its No. 1 ranking in Division 3 in the PR Cheer
competition on Saturday at the DeltaPlex.

The Panthers edged out No.
2 ranked Remus-Chippewa Hills 699.20 to 698.30 in Division 3.

"I'm speechless, to
be able to come out and do what they did today I'm thrilled and excited for
them and for our whole program that we were able to pull this one out," Comstock Park coach Kathy Felty said.
"They have just worked so hard all season.

"It was close scores
all the way through, the first three teams were all
within a couple points of each other."

Comstock Park has been ranked at the top for
only a week, followed by Chippewa Hills and Chesaning, which is how the three
teams placed at Saturday's invite.

"For us to beat those
two teams, the state champion last year and runner-up, I don't know how to
describe it," Felty said. "It means a lot for our program and for
the girls on the team.

"We were ranked first
in the state coming in here and you can feel eyes on you."

The win gives the Panthers
a boost heading into the state finals.

"I think it's going
to give them an enormous amount of confidence. It gives us the desire to move
forward and push harder," Felty said.

Holland Christian won Pool
A of Division 2 for the third year in a row. The Maroons scored 677 points,
nearly 20 points ahead of No. 1-ranked Mount
Pleasant.

"It was great, I'm so
proud of the girls," said Holland Christian coach Beth Cunningham, whose
team is ranked third in the state in Division 2. "I thought they did a
great job, I couldn't be happier with their performance."

Cunningham said she wasn't
expecting to beat Mount Pleasant
by that amount.

"We were just going
in there wanting to do our best and hoping to be in the top three. We
expected to have a good performance," Cunningham said.

"Overall, it was
probably the best performance of the year."

What does this victory
mean for the Maroons?

"I think this meet
gave a boost of confidence to the girls," Cunningham said. "They
still know that they have to keep working hard and we want to peak at the
right time."

In Division 1, Grandville
was edged out by perennial power Rochester,
which has 10 state titles. The Bulldogs, who have three state titles, are
ranked third in the state in Division 1. West Ottawa,
ranked second in the state, took third place.

Allen Park won Pool B of Division 2 with a
score of 702.90. Mona Shores finished third, Kenowa Hills placed fourth
and Lowell
was sixth.