PUBLISHED:
Sunday, March 11, 2007

Oilers land on fourth in Division 2

By DREW ELLIS

Sun Sports Writer

GRAND
RAPIDS - Mt.
Pleasant competitive
cheer had high aspirations for a coveted state championship after making the
change from Class A to Division 2 in 2007.

Saturday,
the Oilers' dreams would not become a reality at the MHSAA Division 2 state
finals in the Delta Plex, as Mt. Pleasant
finished fourth, while Holland Christian walked away with the title.

Mt. Pleasant scored a total of 707.9 to finish fourth,
while Holland Christian scored a 722.3 to win, DeWitt scored a 712.8 for
second, and Allen Park
had a 709.0 for third.

"I
felt like coming into today we had as good a chance as anyone to win a state
title," Mt.
Pleasant coach Kristi LaFleur said. "The girls were prepared, they worked
hard, and they believed that they had as good of a chance as anyone to win
too. Today just wasn't our day in the eyes of the judges but I know our girls
gave everything they had and I am really proud of them."

The
Oilers opened up the state finals by going first in the opening round and
scored a 189.5 which put Mt.
Pleasant fifth overall
once the opening round was complete.

"We
were the first ones to perform and scored the 189.5, but I felt our round was
a solid as anyone's," LaFleur said.
"Sometimes when you are the first to go, the judges can't compare it to
anything and it can affect your score. The high for the round was a 197 and I
thought we were right there with that performance."

In
round two, Mt. Pleasant scored a 203.9, leaving it in
fifth place after two completed rounds.

The
Oilers' third round was their best performance, as they scored a
championship-best 314.5. The top scored improved Mt. Pleasant's position, but not enough to crack into the top two
spots.

"We
take risks with our performances and use a full roster of 16 girls because
that is what the girls want to do," LaFleur
said. "These girls want to show their athleticism and that they are real
athletes and the third round is where we can really do that. Today we showed
what we can do."

Despite
falling short of their championship goals, LaFleur
said her team is winners in her eyes.

"In
all my years of coaching, this year has been one of the best teams for me to
work with," LaFleur added. "The girls had
high hopes and never backed away from those expectations. They worked hard
every day and gave everything they had until the final performance. This is
one of the finest teams anyone could have asked for."