PUBLISHED: Sunday, March 8, 2008

Oilers, Warriors cheer on

By JIM LAHDE

Sun Sports Editor

The final weeks of the regular season
were all about fine tuning.

Effectively the routines are down and ingrained within the
participants psyches.

Thus this past week has been all about the intricacies,
improving the details within the routine whether it's bending a knee to the
proper angle or clapping one's hands with a bit more oomph.

These are the minor details that could determine first from second
and second from fifth in today's competitive cheer state finals that are
being held at the Delta Plex in Grand Rapids.

As it stands a pair of local teams will be competing in today's
season finale as Mt.
Pleasant competes in
the Division 2 finals starting at 10 a.m. and Chippewa Hills competes in the
Division 3 finals beginning at 2 p.m.

Here's a closer look at what both teams are aiming to do.

Mt. Pleasant

The Oilers secured their first-ever regional title one week ago
and closed the regular season out as the second-ranked team in Division 2. As
a result the Oilers, who also won the first-ever Saginaw Valley League title
in 2008, have high hopes going into the meet.

"Overall the girls are peaking at the right time,'said Mt.
Pleasant coach Kristi LaFleur, whose team posted its highest total of the
season in regionals via season-bests in rounds one
and three. "In regionals all 28 girls were
ready to compete, you could see it in their eyes during warm-ups. We're continuing
to work in that mindset.

Mt. Pleasant finished fourth in the finale one year
ago, yet that was then and this is now.

"We're in the race for (a state title) and we're going to
have to be at our best,'LaFleur added.

Chippewa Hills

Much like the Oilers the Warriors have seriously big-time
ambitions going into today's meet.

Fresh off the heels of a regional title Chippewa Hills is
looking to make a run at the state crown.

Two years ago Jenna Ruddell and her
Warriors won the state title. Last year they finished runner-up, which for
all intents and purposes wasn't where the Warriors wanted to finish.

"That disappointment has been a fuel for our passion this year,'said Ruddell. "Our
passion is to not be runner-up because we don't want to deal with that again.
We want to win it.