Carlson cheerleading dynasty
continues

by Jeff Meade | March
13, 2009

- Photo courtesy of CHRISTINA WILSON Gibraltar Carlson's
competitive cheer squad repeated as Division 2 state champions this season.

GIBRALTAR - Gibraltar Carlson's
cheerleading squad went from the hunter to the hunted this season.

That didn't stop the Marauders from repeating as Division 2 state competitive
cheerleading champions last weekend.

Carlson won every round and easily became the first cheer squad in Monroe
County Region history to win back-to-back state titles.

Last year the Marauders were improbable state champs, fielding a squad with
no seniors. This year's team was ranked No. 1 or 2 all season and failed to
win only one meet, finishing one-half point behind the host school in the
Allen Park Invitational.

"That loss just made the girls work harder to keep ourselves Number
1," said Delayne Herndon, a four-year member of the Marauders squad and
one of only four seniors. "We have great coaches, we have a very, very
dedicated team, we're self-motivated and we have a very good middle school
program. They're the first middle school team in Michigan ever to do team
back-tucks."

Christina Wilson and Danielle Jokela are friends and former Carlson
cheerleaders who share the coaching duties. They took over a solid program
and have built it into a dynasty.

Herndon, Sara Jokela (Danielle's younger sister), Rachel Sarkody, Lainey
Williams, Courtney McCarary and Desiree Buron all made first-team All-State
last week. Lisa Lewis, Kayla Sharlow and Megan Zander were second-team
All-State. Rebecca Cleary, Kim DeSimpelaere and Alisha Hixson were honorable
mention.

Despite all the talent, the Marauders have no captains.

"Our team is just basically run by seniors," Herndon said. "We
don't believe in captains."

Carlson has won three state titles since competitive cheerleading became an
official MHSAA-sanctioned sport in 1994, the first in 1995 under the late Pat
Christiansen. Wilson and Jokela cheered for Christiansen and have kept her
legacy alive. The Marauders host the Pat Christiansen Memorial Invitational
each year.

"Mrs. Christensen is talked about on a regular basis," Wilson said. "We still
use some of the old Carlson techniques that we learned under her. We actually
had Pat's daughter (Tami Christensen) come in this season and help us
out."

Herndon, Sarkody, Sara Jokela and Megan Zander, a transfer from Belleville, were this year's
seniors. Herndon believes Carlson will stay a state power as long as the
coaches stick around.

Why are the Marauders so successful?

"It's because we have amazing coaches and we get along so well,"
Sara Jokela said.

"We're a close team," Herndon said. "We spend a lot of time
together. We teach the younger ones that the calmer you are, the better you
perform. We sing a lot - songs from 'High School Musical' or by Taylor Swift.

"Any time you get 22 girls together, there's always going to be some
conflict, but it doesn't last."

Wilson said it was just as difficult to win
state this year because of the pressure to repeat.

"We had 13 girls back from last year," she said. "It helps
that they grew up at Carlson. I don't think we'd be able to do this without
both of us coaching. We run practice from start to finish. It's a guided
learning."

A celebration banquet for the team will be held Saturday night at the Gibraltar Community Center.