Mount Pleasant cheer team seeks more

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Saginaw News

Defending
Saginaw Valley League competitive cheer champion Mount Pleasant seems to be stuck in a good kind
of rut.

For two
consecutive years, the Oilers have finished fourth in the state.

Coach
Kristi LaFleur said her team's goal for this season
is simple: finish better than fourth in Division 2.

''Our
goals are set higher, and this team that's returning is pretty strong,'' LaFleur said, noting that 14 of the 24 girls on her
roster are returning this season.

''As
long as we continue to improve and work hard, (it's possible).''

Under LaFleur's leadership, Mount Pleasant has made a trip to the state
finals six times in the past seven years. LaFleur,
who cheered for Central Michigan University, teaches physical education and
health at Mount Pleasant High School and took over the Oilers' cheer
program 14 years ago.

''Since
I started ... each year the development of the girls and their skills has
increased,'' she said. ''I look at films of when I coached in the '90s, and
the degree of difficulty has increased. Kids coming in have higher
expectations.

''I
think the girls are on a higher level. They have to be good athletes. All you
have to do is watch a competition and you realize really quickly that it
takes some talent.''

In this
season's preseason rankings (voted on by cheer coaches and officials), Mount
Pleasant is ranked third in the state in Division 2, tied with Dewitt and
trailing last year's Division 2 state champs, Gibraltar Carlson.

LaFleur said that in order to meet its goals, her team spends 21/2
hours practicing each weeknight, and three hours on Monday tumbling.

''These
kids put in a lot of time because everything has to be exactly the same,'' LaFleur said. ''You make a mistake, and you're pretty
much out of the competition. It's hard to make up if you fall behind.''