Defending
state champion Gibraltar Carlson ranked No. 1

by BY Jeff Meade

[email-masked] , last modified December 20. 2008 11:38PM

Evening News file photo by KIM BRENT Jenna Franklin gets
a lift from Gibraltar Carlson cheerleading teammates Victoria Hiltz (left) and Autumn Redfearn
as they perform in the Ida Invitational last season. Carlson is the
defending state champion in Division 2.

GIBRLATAR - Gibralar Carlson's competitive cheerleading team won the
Division 2 state championship last season with a squad that had no seniors.

That means this year's team could be even better.

Thirteen of the 18 members of last year's state champs are backed. They are
joined by nine newcomers.

Christina Wilson and Danielle Jokela again will
share coaching duties.

The Marauders currently are ranked No. 1 in Division 2 after beating
runner-up Wyandotte by 71.9 points in last
weekend's Competitive Cheer Coaches Association of Michigan Scholarship
Invitational.

That was the first indication of just how good this year's team could be.

"We thought we'd be pretty good, but we didn't have anything to compare
it to," Wilson said. "We were
good last season, but that doesn't always carry over. We were pleasantly
surprised."

Rachel Sarkody, Sara Jokela,
Delayna Herndon and Megan Zander
are the only seniors on the team.

Zander transferred from Belleville. Herndon, Jokela and Sarkody were
first-team All-State last year along with Brittany Gaynier
and Samantha Martinez.

The team again is dominated by underclassmen with 8 freshmen, 6 sophomores
and 4 juniors.

"I love it (having new talent)," Wilson said. "It means
that we have a very strong middle school program. You need that in order to
be successful."

Marissa Mousouleas and Lindsey Sturgill
are the middle school coaches.

"We all work so well together and we're all friends too," Wilson said.

Flat Rock and Carlson have won MHSAA state cheerleading titles before, but no
team from the Monroe County Region or Downriver area has ever repeated.

Wilson said the team is different after
winning state.

"The attitude is different because they want to work so hard. They had
the taste of victory last year and they want it again," she said.
"We're stronger because we have these phenomenal freshmen. All of the
girls have stepped up from last year."

Carlson will host the Pat Christiansen Memorial competition Jan. 3.

Eight Region schools are fielding competitive cheer squads this winter.

Emily Bowman is the new coach at Monroe, Erin Otter leads
Airport, Amanda Blaida coaches at Bedford, Sarah Noble at Flat
Rock, Nicole Nemec at Ida, Sara Griffin at Jefferson and Danielle Lobato at New Boston Huron.