Jenison competitive cheer
team getting 'antsy'

Thursday,
January 05, 2006

By Dean
Holzwarth

The Grand Rapids Press

JENISON -- The Jenison
competitive cheer team has waited more than two months for the opportunity to
compete in front of judges and a capacity crowd.

And it's left the Wildcats greatly
anticipating their first competition of the season Saturday at the Grandville
Invitational.

"The girls are pretty anxious
to get out there," Jenison coach Wendy
Contreras said. "We wanted to go (to a competition) in December, but we
didn't so the girls are getting antsy and they're ready to take the
mat."

While some schools already have
competed, early setbacks prevented the Wildcats from performing before the
new year.

All now healthy

Contreras said four girls were injured,
but all of them are now healthy.

"We've been practicing a lot
and just building for our first score sheet from the judges," Contreras
said.

"It's been tough because we
haven't had anything to go off of to see where we need to improve, but we'll
find that out on Saturday."

The Wildcats will tangle with
several of the top teams in the area at Grandville.

"It'll be the first
competition for us and it's probably the second for most of the other
teams," Contreras said. "We'll see where we're at and what has to
be done."

Jenison will begin a new season with a
relatively young roster that includes six seniors, four juniors, five
sophomores and two freshman.

Contreras lost seven veteran girls
from last year's squad that placed third at a Class A regional and missed out
on qualifying for the state finals for the second straight year.

The departures have left the
Wildcats with a new identity, but the same goals.

"There's a whole new dynamic
and personality to this team," Contreras said. "We graduated a lot
of girls with three and four years of varsity experience, but this is
definitely a talented group. They have the potential to go far."

Senior Mary Ann Lesch
returns with the most experience as a four-year varsity performer, while
fellow seniors Colleen Healy and Lisa Ziemba are
three-year standouts.

Stiff competition a benefit

The remaining seniors include Chelsia Firlink, Jerrica Klout and Lacy Morgan.

Contreras said competing against
the likes of perennial state powers Grandville, West Ottawa East Kentwood and
Rockford on a
weekly basis always is a benefit.

"They definitely push us to do
our best and you just can't skate through any competition from the first one
to the last one," she said. "It motivates us to work hard and it
makes us better too."

After the Grandville Invitational,
the Wildcats will take part in an O-K Red Conference Preseason Meet on Jan. 9
at Rockford.