West Ottawa competitive cheer
team setting sights on state title

Leo Martonosi
| March 6, 2009

Park Township, MI —

It will
be early morning Saturday, March 7, for the West Ottawa competitive cheer
team.  The Panthers don’t
mind waking up before dawn, though.

West
Ottawa is competing in the Division 1 state finals at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 7, in Grand Rapids. The Panthers are
among eight teams vying for a state championship.

Monica
Harrington and her teammates will have to arrive at school at 5:15 a.m., so they can depart at 6:45 a.m. for the DeltaPlex.

“We’ll
survive,” Harrington said. “It’s the same for all the
teams.”

The
Division 1 meet is the first four events at the DeltaPlex Saturday. The
Division 3 meet ends the day at 7:30 p.m., and it includes
Holland Christian.

The
Division 1 meet includes three teams from the O-K Red Conference — West
Ottawa, East Kentwood and Grandville — as well as Southgate
Anderson, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Rochester, Rochester Hills Stone Creek
and Lake Orion.

“It’s
a very strong, talented-loaded field,” West Ottawa Kristine Brandt
said. “That right there shows you the strength of our
conference.”

Brandt
knew early on this year’s team had the makings to reach state.

We had a
very large talented junior varsity team that was awesome last year,”
Brandt said. “You mix that team in with the seniors, the juniors, the
sophomores and freshmen it makes for a strong overall team.”

Grandville
and Rochester will probably battle
it out for championship honors, Brandt said.

“We’re
already in the top eight,” Brandt said. “We haven’t peaked
and want to score our best scores Saturday.”

Harrington
is excited but nervous about ending her high school competitive cheer career.

“It’s
really kind of sad,” Harrington said. “I’ve been cheering
since the seventh grade. I’m going to miss not spending time with all the
girls.”

Brandt
said it won’t be the same for Harrington and three other seniors on the
team — Taylor Bosman, Lauren Lee and Erin
McGovern.

“It’s
never the same after you leave school,” Brandt said. “So many
things change after you graduate.”

Harrington,
McGovern and junior Sydney Beaudreault are captains
of this year’s team.

“Those
girls have been great leaders all season,” Brandt said.

Bosman, Harrington, Lee, McGovern and Beaudreault
compete in all three rounds for the Panthers along, juniors Mary Blank, Emily
Burel, Haley Stokes, Amber Underwood, Ashley
Underwood and sophomore Alyssa Saing and freshman
Lynn Cummins.

“All
22 of the girls on our roster will be in at least one round,” Brandt
said. “This team has great depth. It’s exciting to coach
them.”

Also
taking to the floor Saturday for West Ottawa are Amber DePree, Sarah Fuglseth, Makenzie Gee, Brooke Hill, Jenna Maki, Judy Sinakone, Taylor VanderPloeg,
Staci Zwyghuizen, Morgan Timmer
and Ally Vasilauskas.