Eisenhower teacher chosen
Cheerleading Coach of the Year

PUBLISHED: January 12, 2005

By Gina Joseph

Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Cheers to Mary
Frances Milke of Macomb Township, who was named
Michigan Cheerleading Coaches Association 2004 Coach of the Year.

"It was a good year," said Milke,
standing in front of the trophy case at Eisenhower High School in Shelby
Township. "Varsity alone took home nine first-place awards, including a
state championship."

Milke, who has since stepped aside as coach to take
on the position of adviser for the championship cheer team, looked over the
shelves and pointed to the trophies earned by Eisenhower's cheer teams. There
were several shelves full. The state championship trophy was not on display.
It's too big for the showcase, Milke said. Also
missing from the collection of accolades is the national circuit championship
trophy. Milke sees it on Eisenhower's horizon.

"The new coach (Holly Kralik) was
one of my cheerleaders," Milke said. "She
was extremely determined. She took a stand one year about the team competing,
and it changed the course of the season."

That kind of grit, along with a team of dedicated athletes, a good
coaching staff and supportive parents make for a winning combination according
to Milke. In fact, she attributes her success as an
Eisenhower cheerleading coach to the same winning combination.

"No coach can do it alone," Milke
said.

For 12 years Milke has worked with the
athletes and coaching staff at Eisenhower, where she was a cheerleader and
recipient of the MCCA Scholarship Award. Under her direction, the varsity cheer
team made 10 trips to the state finals, placing in the top 10 each time and
competed in the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships in Disney
World, placing as high as fourth in the small-coed division and third in
partner stunt.

In addition to being a coach, Milke is a
physical education teacher. In 2003, the Michigan Association of Physical
Education Recreation and Dance named her Secondary Physical Education Teacher
of the Year. Proof of Milke's dedication to the sport
is evident by her list of professional memberships, including the Michigan
Cheerleading Coaches Association (acting vice-president), Michigan Cheerleading
Judges Association and National Spirit Federation.

"She is one of the hardest working coaches I know," said
Milke's husband of 14 years, Jeff Milke.
"Winning this award, it's one of her crowning moments, if you will. She
definitely earned it, bringing her team to the state finals and winning
it."

In addition to being a coach, teacher and wife, Milke is a mom. She has two children, 11 and 2, which is
one of the reasons she stepped aside as coach this year.

"As adviser, I still get to be involved with the team," Milke said. "But I want to be able to spend a little
more time with my family."

Milke may not be coaching, but the routines and
stunts she taught the athletes remain an influential part of the team.

"She always
liked to do things other people would never do, never attempt," said
Jessica Lerch, an Eisenhower senior and member of its
varsity cheer team. "I remember during our sophomore year, she put all
these crazy things together and I thought, "Oh my gosh,
we're going to do this? It was all these sequences, stunts and activities. We
trusted her, and we did it. And it was better than I could ever have imagined.
She's a pioneer."