Unfinished
business for Comstock
Park cheer team

Tuesday,
December 11, 2007

By
Jeff Chaney

The Grand Rapids Press

The Comstock Park
competitive cheer team went into last year's Division 3 state finals as the
top ranked team and looking to win the program's first state championship.

The Panthers performed well, but
not well enough, leaving the DeltaPlex last March with a fourth-place finish.

It was a finish that stung, but
not one that was dwelled on.

"It was disappointing, but it
was an accomplishment that we even made it, so I was happy for our
team," senior Erica Yeomans said. "I
still wanted us to do better."

Comstock Park coach Kathy Felty
also looked at fourth as a positive.

"It was an OK day, it wasn't
our best day," Felty said. "We were very
excited to take fourth. It wasn't bittersweet for me as a coach. Our goal was
to just make it to state last year. We were six-tenths of a point from being
third."

The team lost only four girls to
graduation, so a return trip to the state finals is a real possibility.

"We are a young team, but we
have a lot of talent and I'm excited for our first competition," Yeomans said. "I think we can be better than last
year -- we have a lot of potential. We still have some learning to do and
coming together as a team, but the potential is there."

Besides Yeomans,
the team will be built around seniors Sarah Coble and Rachel Egner, junior Brittni May and
sophomores Alexa Kemme
and Haley Vos.

"We are very excited to get
started," said Felty, who has won seven
conference titles and five regional titles and has taken her team to state
five times. The Panthers were third in the state in 1995.

"They have a lot of talent,
energy and drive to do what we did last year, if not do it better. I think we
will have three strong rounds this year."

In the sport of competitive cheer
consistency is key.

"I don't think we felt the
pressure last year," Felty said. "We had
a couple of things that weren't as clean as would have liked, and that hurt
us. We are looking for this year to be a little better than last year.

"The talent is there. Our
goal this year is to win our region and make the finals again. As we see how
our year progresses, then we'll see if we can be No.1 again heading to
state."

Competitive cheer

Conference: O-K Blue

Coach: Kathy Felty, 18th year

2006-07: Won conference and
regional titles, fourth at state

Top returners: Seniors Erica Yeomans, Sarah Coble and Rachel Egner,
junior Brittni May and sophomores Alexa Keeme and Haley Vos

Outlook: The Panthers should
be strong again with a good mix of youth, talent and experience.

Coach's comment: "This
is a very talented group of young girls, and I'm excited to get
started."

Key date: CCAM meet at Comstock Park on Dec. 15