Panther cheer
team adjusting to new lineup

Thursday,
December 29, 2005

By
Steve Fox

The Grand Rapids Press

HOLLAND -- West
Ottawa has plenty of successful athletic programs.

None have been as consistently
strong over the past decade as competitive cheer. The Panthers have placed in
the top six in the Class A state championships seven out of the past eight
years and have been in the top three five times, including last season's
runner-up finish.

Eighth-year coach Kelly Polinskey attributes much of the long-term success to
coaches.

"All but one of our coaches,
middle school on up, I have coached," Polinskey
said. "They keep the expectations from having me as a coach in the past.

"That's been probably the
foundation of it all."

From there, it is up to each year's
team members to achieve success, she said. This year will be no different.

"It's just getting the girls that
are committed to that huge season," Polinskey
said. "Most of these girls cheer in the fall, too, so it's a nine-month
season. It's such a huge commitment."

West Ottawa won the 2005 regional championship
and shared the O-K conference title with perennially strong Grandville.
Matching those accomplishments this year will be a tall task after graduating
13 seniors.

"The group that graduated last
year had actually made up the varsity team since they were sophomores," Polinskey said. "Ten of them had been on since 10th
grade. They had a lot of experience, and that's where we'll probably face our
biggest challenges this year."

The Panthers feature eight seniors,
but she said leadership and experience is coming largely from two others.
Junior Heather Fuglseth is in her third year at the
varsity level and sophomore Amanda Janowiak is back
for her second year.

While the team rotates captains, Polinskey said Fuglseth and Janowiak have clearly emerged.

"The two of them take on a lot
of that leadership," Polinskey said. "And
they were in gymnastics together when they were younger."

While they are the leaders, that is
not taking anything away from the eight seniors: Autum
Cooper, Laura Mathews, Hailey Moeke, Amanda Pfoft, Megan Rich, Melissa Ross, Arena Sikoulabout, Ashlee Stone.

"The seniors are a driven
group, and I think that they need to get comfortable with stepping in," Polinskey said. "They're thinking more about filling
the shoes of the girls who have left, but I want them to make this their path
and their team. They're getting comfortable with being the seniors."

The Panthers opened the season by
taking fourth in the Competitive Cheerleading Coaches Association of Michigan
Scholarship Invitational at Allegan. Grandville, Rockford
and East Kentwood, all members of the O-K
conference, took the top three spots.

"Our first meet was a little
bit of a struggle," Polinskey said. "It's
always good to get that first meet and get your feet wet, but definitely
nerves and a lack of experience were a big factor."

She hopes the team will be stronger
for a pair of big meets coming up. The Panthers will compete at Grandville
Jan. 7 and follow that two days later with the pre-conference meet at Rockford.

The state meet is scheduled for March 11 at the DeltaPlex
Entertainment and Expo Center in Walker.