Competitive
cheer: Stand up and cheer for these young Marauders

BY
MARTIN DOBEK • FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER • March 9, 2008

NICK DENTAMARO/Special to the
Free Press

Gibraltar Carlson's Chantelle
Baron, center, hugs teammate Ronni
Salonina after the Marauders won the Division 2
title. Carlson edged Allen Park
after finishing second to the Jags in their regional.

GRAND RAPIDS --
Senior leadership can carry teams a long way -- but don't tell that to the
Gibraltar Carlson competitive cheer team. The Marauders, who had no seniors
on their team, won their first-ever Division 2 state championship, posting a
score of 777.280 to edge out runner-up Allen
Park, which posted a 775.903.

Stepping into leadership roles for the Marauders were juniors Sara Jokela and Delayna Herndon.

"They are two huge leaders of this team, even though all of our
juniors and all our girls really stepped it up," second year co-coach
Danielle Jokela said.

No seniors, no problem for a team of five juniors, seven sophomores
and six freshmen.

Jokela and co-coach Christina
Wilson told their young squad to give everything they had in their
performance and act like it was their last time on the floor.

"We just wanted them to be comfortable out on the floor," Jokela said.

The team motto for the year was "unstoppable," and it proved
to be true as Carlson led the meet from start to finish

Carlson finished behind Allen
Park in their regional by almost 12 points, but when
it counted in the finals the Marauders got the best of the Jags.

"We wouldn't be where we are now if we didn't have them (Allen Park) to push us
harder," said Herndon.

Division 3: Remus Chippewa Hills
wasn't aware it had a commanding lead going into the final round, but it
didn't matter as it captured the title by 28.76 points over Comstock Park.

"After we got done with round three we just fell to the floor and
starting crying because we were so happy that she (head coach Jenna Ruddell) told us (the) numbers," Chippewa Hills
senior Chelsea Gettings said.

The Lady Warriors finished as the runner-up last year and won its
second state title in three years. "It was so much fun, I wouldn't have
rather spent it with any other girls," Gettings
said.

Division 4: Pewamo-Westphalia captured the title with a
730.056. Hudson
(725.608) was second. Madison Heights Bishop Foley finished sixth.