Bobcats cheer to third at Ovid-Elsie

December 16, 2004

The Houghton Lake Bobcats cheered to third
place Saturday at the Ovid-Elsie Invitational, their first meet of the
competitive cheerleading season.

Competing in Division II against Breckenridge, Merrill, Bad Axe,
Leslie and East Jackson, the Bobcats placed
third behind Leslie (546.5) and Merrill (543).

“I was really proud of them,” Coach B.J. Maass
said. “It was an exciting day.”

The scoring for their division was very close, Maass
said. A first place finish was within their grasp, but the Bobcats received a
penalty in Round 2–an illegal jump cost them 14 points. Maass said in Round 2 all jumps are supposed to be
exactly the same, and one “Herkie” was
performed when the other girls jumped a “double 9.”

Even with the penalty, the Bobcats were within 12 points of the leader,
having rebounded in Round 3 with 227 points over Leslie’s 219.5.

“The girls did a great job,” Maass
said. “We had changed every formation in every round due to two girls
not being able to be there. They worked very hard and it showed in their
performance on the mat.”

Coach Maass said Jessi
Tharp, who was nervous about performing her back tucks “gave us two
beautiful back tucks in Round 3, to complete our requirements for that
round,” her first time to do so in a competition.

The Bobcats compete next on Jan. 6, 2005, at home against Roscommon, Meridian and Dow.

©The Houghton
Lake Resorter 2004