Sparta looks to next season after finishing sixth in state

Thursday,
March 16, 2006

By
Kelly Hill

The Grand Rapids Press

For the second year in a row, Sparta's competitive
cheer team finished its season sixth among Class B teams.

The Spartans posted a three-round
score of 684.9 points Saturday in the state championships at the DeltaPlex in
Walker.
Chippewa Hills won the title with a mark of 733.5.

Finishing sixth matches the best
season in school history. The Spartans, who were making their third
consecutive state-finals appearance, finished eighth two years ago.

"I think we did an excellent
job," said Sparta
coach Kensey Doolittle.

"In the first round we
probably could have gotten a better score and in the second round we could
have gotten our splits better, but I am very proud of these girls. They
really did an awesome job."

Sparta posted a score of 184.5 points in
the opening round. Only two of the 10 teams scored lower than the Spartans.

The Spartans posted a mark of 198.9
in the second round, the lowest score of all the teams, and 301.5 in the
critical third round. Only three Class B teams -- Chippewa Hills, runner-up
Chesaning and third-place Holland Christian -- posted higher third-round
scores.

"We need more tumbling
skills," Doolittle said of the Spartans.

"We've got to spend more time
in the gym."

Of the 20 members on the team,
eight -- Tomi Tomson,
Heather Jansma, Kami
Cowden, Coley Lockard, Sarah Raney, Jolene Wert,
Amber Couturier and Courtney Knutson -- will graduate this spring.

"We are going to miss these
seniors," Doolittle said.

"I have been with some of
these girls since they were in the second grade. We have a very strong and
very positive group coming back, though."