Warriors cheerleaders
leap to 4th in D3

By Drew
Ellis

Saturday, March 8, 2009

GRAND
RAPIDS – It was tough for Jenna Ruddell
to leave the competitive cheer coaching ranks and the Chippewa Hills program,
but it was even tougher for one of Ruddell’s
former athletes to take her place.

Ruddell won two state titles and one runner-up
trophy in her last three seasons before turning the program over to Krystle Downs, who was coached by Ruddell
until graduating in 2004.

Downs never got a taste of the state
championship that Ruddell first won in 2006, but on
Saturday she got her chance to coach on the biggest stage with her mentor not
far away.

Chippewa Hills competed in its fourth-straight state finals, and finished
fourth in Division 3 with a total of 751.8474 while Comstock Park ran away with the championship
with a score of 781.1808.

“I
had some big shoes to fill in replacing Jenna and today was a great
experience for me as a coach,” Downs said. “A lot of teams
don’t get a chance to compete in the finals and I thought we
represented ourselves very well.”

As Downs coached her Warriors, Ruddell was standing on the side as she was part of the
MHSAA work staff for the day-long event.

“It was very hard for me today,” Ruddell
said. “It is tough because my family and I moved and it wasn’t a
retirement. I wouldn’t change the decision for my family and that
perspective, but I still have a lot of bonds for this team. I built this
program from the ground up and it means a lot to me to see the program
succeed like it has.”

Coming into Saturday’s championship, Chippewa Hills had just the seventh-best
regional score of the eight teams, but that didn’t stop the Warriors
from putting forth their best effort.

“I think we had a great day and we had a lot of energy,” Downs said. “We left it all on
the mat and that is all I can ask.”

Chippewa Hills made a strong opening statement, putting up the top score of
round one with a 226, just edging Ovid-Elsie, which scored a 225.7. As the
Warriors finished their opening performance, Ruddell
nodded in support for Downs as she passed by on her way to the back.

“It makes me very happy and it is the best thing ever to see someone
like Krystal coaching the program because I was her coach and I know she will
carry on a lot of the traditions that we established,” Ruddell said. “She is the coach and the program is
hers now and I will always be there to help and support her but she is very
capable of leading this team.”

Comstock Park made the big move in round two,
scoring a 244.3808 to jump to first place heading into the final round. The
Warriors came in with a 230.5474 in round two to hold onto second place
through two rounds.

The third round saw Comstock Park set the tone early and clinch the
title with a round score of 312.1 while the Warriors soon followed and posted
a 295.3.

Grosse Ile wound up finishing in second overall with a 758.2496 while Richmond took third with a 755.5504.

While Saturday may not have brought another championship to Remus, Downs knows there is still plenty to be excited about for the
future for her team and for herself.

“We are going to just keep building this program,” Downs said of the future. “We
aren’t going to stop, we are going to keep
going.”