Competitive
cheer teams on way again to state finals

Hartland,
Brighton in Division I field at Grand
Rapids

Friday,
March 07, 2008

For the fourth straight season,
the Hartland and Brighton competitive cheer teams head to the Division I
state finals together at the DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids this weekend.

The Eagles, who secured the
state's best score, a 799.812, in winning their fifth straight regional title
at Brighton last weekend, are using a
different approach to prepare for the state finals. Hartland coach Paula
Cunningham said the Eagles have put too much pressure on themselves the past
two years, causing critical third-round falls.

"I tried something different
to relieve some of the stress of the finals,'' she said.
"Instead of saying we're shooting for the top three or top five,
we are just focused on doing the best we can.''

Cunningham said the Eagles, who
have five seniors mixed with five freshmen and a ton of juniors, have
"met all my expectations'' this season.

"They have come even further
than I had hoped,'' she said.

The Bulldogs, who scored a 751.418
to finish second at regionals behind Hartland, have
been steady over the years at the state finals, finishing eighth, seventh and
eighth the past three seasons.