Thursday, March 17, 2005

Sports

Falcons can cheer they are the best again

By Jim Toth

Staff
Writer

They're
back where they belong.

After
falling off the top rung of the competitive cheer ladder with a third-place
finish at last year's Class A state final, the Rochester Falcons saved their
best performance for last and regained their championship status by topping a
strong 10-team field Saturday at the Deltaplex in Grand Rapids.

The
Falcons, who have now won nine Michigan High School Athletic Association
Girls Competitive Cheer titles, including six in the last seven years,
registered a team-best 742 points. Holland West Ottawa was second with 716,
Hartland came in third with 708.5, Southgate Anderson fourth with 706 and
Grandville, the 2004 champion, placed fifth with 701.5. Rochester Stoney
Creek placed 10th with 646.

"This
has been one of my favorite groups ever,'' said veteran Rochester Head Coach
Susan Wood, who completed her 24th season. "We
spent a lot of time all season on self-confidence. I knew they were capable
of winning. I don't know if they thought they were capable of winning.''

Wood said
the drive toward this year's title began moments after last year's
disappointment.

"It
was tough,'' Wood said of the 2004 finals performance.
"All year it weighed on our minds. I think we felt a little bit
of desperation early in the year, so we talked and said we can't think about
that. We have to go out there thinking we're going to win and not look
back.''

The
senior-led squad certainly responded by recording back-to-back first-place
finishes when it counted most - at regionals and finals.

Spearheading
the team's season-long success were seniors Kimberly Bonk, Kelly Brumagin, Lindsay Evanson,
Katrina Gettinger, Kendall Hood, Elizabeth Main,
Claire Mozer, Erin Mozer,
Alison Raetzke, Amy Raffa,
Siehara Sorrell, Alissa VanSlembrouck, Marissa Wintermantle,
Kelly Winters and Alyssa Young. Joining in the fun were juniors Caitlin Burzynski, Cassie Clem, Michelle Durmisevich,
Dara Miller, Nicole Seyburn,
Adrienne Szymanski and Katie Ziegeler. Sophomores
included Shannon Marconi, Holly Mihelic and Liz
Vickers.

In her more
than two decades in the sport, Wood said her Falcons achieved something
Saturday she had never experienced before. Following her team's performance
in Round 3, those packing the Deltaplex rose to their feet and applauded the
sterling effort.

"It
was something special,'' Wood said. "The girls
had some risky and challenging stunts and just connected out there. In some
ways, I think that was better than any title or trophy.''