The Ile Camera

GI competitive cheer team heads to fifth
consecutive state meet

By Terry Jacoby, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: March 11, 2005

Photo by E.L. Conley

The Grosse
Ile competitive cheerleading team will compete in its fifth consecutive
state meet tomorrow.

What is the most
successful sports program at Grosse Ile High School over the past five years?

The answer is so easy that we'll let the
Grosse Ile Competitive Cheer Team provide the answer.

"WE ARE!"

They might not attract the huge crowds of
the football team or the headlines of the basketball team, but the Competitive
Cheer Team at Grosse Ile is leaps, bounds and tucks better than any program at
the school.

For the previous four years, the cheer team
has traveled to the Class B state finals.

The amazing run continues tomorrow when the
Red Devils make their fifth consecutive trip to the big dance.

The 2005 cheer team already has won a Huron
League title (their eighth league title in a row), finished second at regionals
and won the Allen Park, News-Herald and Wyandotte invitationals.

Coach Liz Kazik's
team won the state championship in 2002 and has finished fifth the past two
years.

"Last year was very close," said
Kazik, who took over the program in 1993. "Only 10 points separated first
place from fifth place. It should be strong again this year."

The girls spent the week leading up to
tomorrow's finals by working on the details. Kazik, though, gets her points
across in a very supportive way. You will see her high-fiving
players and yelling encouragement more often than not. She likes to teach and
her players enjoy her approach.

At times it seems Kazik is just one of the
girls. But there is no doubt she is in charge and the girls enjoy trying to
please her, often running over to tell her of something they did.

On Tuesday, the girls spent a good part of
practice working on gymnastics.

They were loose and enjoying themselves,
but also displayed a kind of confidence that comes with being champions.

"There are 10 teams going to states
and each one of them believes they can win. We are no different," Kazik
said.

And don't expect this great run to end anytime soon. The Red Devils current
lineup includes only two seniors.