Stating goals Competitive cheer
team aims for state meet

By Terry Jacoby, The Ile Camera

PUBLISHED: January 13, 2006

Photo
by E.L. Conley

Julia Wangen and the
competitive cheer team begins a new season with
the same goal: qualifying for states.

The Grosse Ile
High School competitive
cheer team has set one goal for this year. It's the same goal they've had the
past five years. And it's the same goal they've achieved over the past five
years.

"Our goal is to make it back
to the state mat and qualify at regionals,"
said Coach Liz Kazik, whose team has competed in
the state meet the past five years and finished third last season. "Of
course we want to repeat as league champions."

The Red Devils are so good that a
league title is almost an afterthought, even though Kazik
insists they take nothing for granted. Grosse Ile has been Huron League
champions every year since 1998. The league meets started yesterday at Monroe
Jefferson with Grosse Ile taking on Riverview.

The Red Devils hosted the
Competitive Cheer Coaches Association of Michigan tournament last month,
finishing third. The tournament is a fund-raiser to help raise money for
scholarships given out by the coaches association.

"I was very happy with how
we did. The meet is a chance for everyone to get on the floor and have a good
time," Kazik said.

A lot has changed since that meet
in December.

"We are really starting to
come together," Kazik said. "It takes a
while to mesh, and I've seen a lot of progress during the last few weeks.
It's really a great group of girls and we're excited about the season."

Of the 19 girls on last year's
team, 12 return to give the Red Devils plenty of experience. The five seniors
on the team — Monica Cole, Chrissy Dudash, Jenna Hartwig, Emily
Lehmann and Julia Wangen — will share the
captain duties.