HC, WO cheer teams aim for trip to state finals

Loe Martonosi | February 26, 2009

Holland, MI —

The
Holland Christian and West Ottawa competitive cheers
have set themselves up for a trip to the state finals.

Holland Christian enters its Division 3 regional Saturday as a district championship,
while West Ottawa heads into its Division 1 regional as a
district runner-up.

The top four teams at regionals advance to the
March 7 state finals at the DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids.

“We’re peaking at the right time,” West Ottawa senior Erin McGovern
said.

“We haven’t hit our peak,” Holland Christian senior Kelly Marsman said.

West
Ottawa will compete in the regional at Brighton. It starts at 2 p.m. Saturday.

District champion and O-K Red Conference rival East Kentwood will join the
Panthers in the 12-team field. Two other O-K Red Conference schools — Rockford and Grandville
— also qualified for the regional along with the Falcons and Panthers.

“We’re in the toughest conference in the state,” West Ottawa assistant coach Jenn VanSlooten said. “There’s a lot of good teams on the west side of the
state. We were one point away from being first at Rockford at districts.”

West
Ottawa will rely on the leadership and skill of top cheerleaders such
as McGovern, senior Monica Harrington, senior Taylor Bosman,
senior Lauren Lee and junior Sydney Beaudreault.

VanSlooten is optimistic the Panthers will reach
their goal.

“We have a lot of depth on this team, a lot of hard-working
girls,” VanSlooten said. “They want to
move on.”

Holland Christian will compete in a 12-team regional at Coopersville.

There are some outstanding Division 3 teams there, Holland Christian coach
Beth Cunningham said.

“It’s going to be a great regional,” Cunningham said.
“There will be some great teams and great individuals (at Coopersville).”

“The girls have worked hard in practice for this. All the credit goes
to the girls. We just want to go out there and give it our best.”

Marsman, a four-year starter and a member of
Holland Christian’s 2007 Division 2 state champion, is looking forward
to competing.

“I’m so excited. I’m pumped,” said Marsman, one of four seniors on Holland Christian’s
roster along with Sarah Ebels, Crista
Woods and Katelyn VerHage. “I can hardly wait
until Saturday.”