Ovid-Elsie wins
Tri-Valley cheer crown

By The Argus-Press

Friday, February 6, 2009 10:00 AM EST

BIRCH
RUN - For the first time in school history, the Ovid-Elsie competitive cheer
team laid claim to a Tri-Valley Conference championship Wednesday.

The Marauders, ranked third in Division 3, took first place with a total of
717.707 points and had 12 cheerleaders named to one of the three
all-conference squads.

“Being that we never won it before, it was pretty awesome,” said
coach Sarah Stewart. “It's always nice to be the first group to win
one.”

Ithaca was second at the conference meet
with 716.214 points and Merrill finished third with 689.595. Bullock Creek
took fourth with 673.939 and Chesaning finished fifth with 667.232.

The Marauders scored 231 points in the first round, 198.207 in the second and
288.5 in the third. Ithaca, ranked fifth in Division 4,
scored 207.9, 201.414 and 306.9 by rounds.

Stewart said if the Marauders were to win a championship, it would be with
this current group of seniors. Jessie Reha, Jordyn Betz, Devan Greenhoe, Morgan Chapko and
Jamie Pontack all were named first-team all
conference and all played a crucial role in helping Ovid-Elsie become a
championship-caliber squad.

“They've always wanted to take home a league championship,” she
said.

Amber Green, a sophomore, also made the first team.

“It's a pretty big achievement to be first team as a sophomore,”
Stewart said.

The Tri-Valley Conference second team included Marauders McKayla
Miller, Whitney Bernat and Brooke Rose. Kim Fox,
Melissa Henfling and Jenae
Holton made up O-E's share of the honorable mention team.

The Marauders also won three other tournaments within their division this
season. Ovid-Elsie won its own Invitational to start the year, then placed first in the Leslie Blackhawk Invitational
amongst Division 3 teams as well as the Cheers for Charity tournament.