Vikings have
lots to cheer about

Thursday,
January 26, 2006

By
Steve Ungrey

The Grand Rapids Press

WYOMING -- Late on a Friday afternoon at West Elementary School
in Wyoming,
the surroundings are quiet except for noise coming from one location.

With the noise coming from the Wyoming Park competitive cheer team's practices, a first-time visitor to the school wouldn't
have trouble finding the gym after hours.

The Vikings have plenty to cheer
about midway through the season, as the program notched its first overall
score of 700 points or more during the O-K Conference competitive cheer meet
Jan. 18. Wyoming
Park won that meet, in
addition to the Jan. 16 Comstock Park Invitational.

The team
also took second to Jenison in its division
at the Jenison Invitational on Jan. 14.

"Our scores have been going up
consistently, so that's been good to see," Wyoming Park
coach Erin Neitzel said.

With five seniors and just two
freshmen on the roster, the Vikings have the luxury of seasoned veterans.

"If we keep going at the pace
we are right now, and with the scores we're getting, the possibility of
qualifying for state could happen," Neitzel
said.

The final O-K Conference meet is at
Comstock Park on Feb. 22.

The team includes seniors Joy Hoek, Alissa Lane, Lindsay Aman, Judy Mier and Stephanie Kerkstra. In addition to Harrington and Deyoung, other juniors include Brittany Black and
Victoria Morgan. Sophomores Samantha Hentschel, Janel Rivera, and Casi French,
and freshmen Mckenzie Neiwondomski
and Sara Pierce round out the roster.