PUBLISHED:
Sunday, March 12, 2006

Huskies make it an even half dozen titles

By DREW ELLIS

Sun Sports Writer

GRAND
RAPIDS - No team would admit it, but Saturday's
Class C/D competitive cheer state championship was Breckenridge's to lose.

The two-time defending state champs had held on to the No. 1
ranking all season coming into Saturday's finals, and last week at regionals, the Huskies defeated No. 2 ranked
Pewamo-Westphalia by over 23 points.

So as the 2006 champion was announced after the competition
was completed, nobody was surprised to see the Huskies win their third-straight
title, and sixth in seven years with a score of 708.1.

"The girls just went out and did their thing," Huskie coach Deb Gaines said. "They went out in all
three rounds, did a great job, nailed their routines, and were just on."

P-W, which has finished second to Breckenridge for all five of
the Huskies' previous titles, and is the only other team to win a state title
in Class C/D other than Breckenridge since 1999, surprisingly finished third
with 683.7, while Hudson
was second with 696.8.

"I thought Hudson was going to take second based on the
rounds, but it was strange not to have P-W standing next to us at the
end," Huskie senior Samantha Conn said. "Hudson
did a really nice job today though."

After one round, the Huskies held a slight lead over P-W, as
Breckenridge scored a 191.5, while the Pirates posted a 191, and Hudson scored a 185.5.

"We came out really serious, which is weird," Huskie senior Samantha Grzemkowski
said.

In round two, the Huskies scored a competition-high 214.6 to
give it a total of 406.1 and a comfortable lead over Hudson, which snuck into second at 398.3,
after scoring a 212.8 in round two. P-W slipped to third with a 392.2 after
scoring a 201.2 in round two.

"I knew that if we hit our routines that we would be good,"
Breckenridge cheerleader Sara Naessens said.
"We were the favorites going in, but we still had to come out and
perform to our ability."

Breckenridge sealed its win in the third round with a score of
302, while P-W scored a 291.5, and Hudson
scored a 298.5.

"I just kept thinking in my head that we have to nail
this round, it is my last one," senior Jill Ostrander said. "When
we finished our routine, it just felt so good knowing that we had gone out
and performed so well today."

The Huskies are now tied with Pewamo-Westphalia for second
all-time in MHSAA history with six competitive cheer state championships.

Next season the Huskies will look for a fourth-straight title,
which eluded them in 2003, as the Pirates beat them by a half a point.

"Oh, I don't even want to think about that," Gaines
said. "I can't think about next year right now. I am sure we'll be
thinking about that soon enough, but not right now."

The Huskies will likely be the odds-on favorite to win next
years' state title as well, but perhaps the MHSAA should look into letting
the Huskies compete at the Class B or A level to make things interesting.

"Competition is always a good thing," Gaines said of
moving up. "But, I like where we are at right now, I think we will stay
here."