Carlson 'Legends' Build Record Streak
March 5, 2016
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – The Gibraltar Carlson competitive cheer team entered Saturday with the opportunity to make MHSAA history.
The pressures involved with the astounding feat didn’t faze the Marauders at all.
Gibraltar Carlson led from start to finish during the Division 2 Final at the DeltaPlex and became the first cheer team to win six consecutive MHSAA championships, regardless of class or division.
The Marauders previously were tied with Rochester (1999-2003) for the longest streak. They snapped the deadlock with a convincing win ahead of runner-up and Downriver League rival Allen Park.
“Going for six in a row, which had never been done in cheerleading, was a lot of pressure,” second-year Gibraltar Carlson coach Ayrn Ziesmer said. “I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m proud of, but I will never be a living legend, and that’s what they are today. They will go down in history as the first team in cheerleading to win six in a row, and that is something that can never be taken from them.”
The Marauders posted a final score of 786.26, while the Jaguars finished at 777.62 to edge third-place Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (774.80).
Gibraltar Carlson’s historic effort was accomplished with a youthful group. One senior and one junior combined with 11 sophomores and seven freshmen to spark the top-ranked squad.
The lone senior, Mary Miller, became the only girl to be a part of the team’s last four MHSAA championships.
“It’s so relieving to go out on top, and this is unreal,” Miller said. “When I was a freshman and we three-peated, I never thought it would be my senior year and the only one doing it for six and making history. I’m very proud of my team right now and the coaching staff.”
Miller said the pressure to carry on the tradition was intense.
“There’s a lot of pressure walking in here and knowing that everyone wants to see you fall because they want a new champion,” she said. “But for me, that fueled my fire and made me want to prove everybody wrong.”
The string of titles for Gibraltar Carlson began in 2011 under coach Christina Wilson and then transitioned to Danielle Jokela in 2013. She passed the reins to Ziesmer last season, and the success never wavered.
“There are a lot of expectations for this program, and they are expected to be better than everybody else every day,” Ziesmer said. “They are held to a higher standard, so I’m extremely proud that they were able to live up to it and win by the margin that they did today.”
The Marauders held a six-point advantage heading into Round 3. They cemented their place in history by posting a 319.40.
“It’s our money round,” junior Jordyn Hodge said. “It’s my favorite round to compete in, personally, and we just have fun. Hitting it just makes everyone want to do it over and over again.
“This season has been amazing, and it means a lot for all of our hard work to pay off. Working hard for nine months, getting here and then doing it.”
The Marauders posted high scores in each round, something they didn’t produce a year ago.
“We lost Round 2, so when we left last year it was a kind of a we-wanted-more feeling,” Ziesmer said. “But this year they won all three rounds by a pretty big margin, and that is such a satisfying feeling. To know that I, or the team, couldn’t have done anything better. They have no regrets.”
Allen Park placed in the top-two for the first time since winning a Division 2 title in 2010. The Jaguars also were young, boasting a bevy of underclassmen.
“I have a very young team, and they were hungry,” Allen Park coach Julie Goodwin said. “They’ve been working hard, and they did an outstanding job today. Our goals today were to just put out our best rounds, have fun and make memories. We knew it was going to be a battle today, and our Round 3 was awesome.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Gibraltar Carlson holds a stunt on the way to winning a record sixth straight MHSAA cheer championship. (Middle) Allen Park finished second, its highest since winning Division 2 in 2010.
D1 Preview: New Champion to Rise
March 5, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
For the first time since 2011, there will be a new MHSAA Division 1 competitive cheer champion.
And five of eight teams competing Friday are seeking the first MHSAA title in their programs’ histories.
Following are glances at all eight Division 1 teams competing at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex beginning at 6 p.m. Previews for Divisions 2, 3 and 4 will be published Friday morning and early afternoon. All four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis.
GRAND BLANC
Rank: No. 7.
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association (West, Lakes and overall).
Co-coaches: Helena Hunt and Christina Swansey, fourth seasons.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 786.70.
Team composition: 26 total (11 seniors, six juniors, eight sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Grand Blanc is making its first trip to the MHSAA Finals and after dominating a strong KLAA. The Bobcats have posted some of the best scores in the state – their top overall score is third-best in Division 1 this season, while their best of 237.4 in Round 1 and 232.1 in Round 2 also both rank third in the division. Senior Madison Drye received an all-region honorable mention last season. Hunt led Waterford Mott to a Michigan Cheer Coaches Association championship in 2002.
GRANDVILLE
Rank: No. 3.
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red.
Coach: Julie Smith-Boyd, 34th season.
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2011), eight runner-up finishes.
Top score: 789.22 at District.
Team composition: 30 total (12 seniors, seven juniors, nine sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: The Bulldogs fell only 2.42 points shy of earning last season’s championship and were tied for first after Round 1. Their top overall score is the second highest in Division 1 this season – they’ve gone over 780 points three times – and they also rank second in Round 3 with a best of 320.9. Seniors Trisha Merriman and Sam Salliotte earned all-state first-team honors last season, while senior Jasmine Martinez made the second team and senior Katie Roberts and junior Kelsey Russell earned honorable mentions.
HARTLAND
Rank: Unranked.
League finish: Third in KLAA Lakes West.
Coach: Lizzie Nash, first season.
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2013.
Top score: 781.48 at the District.
Team composition: 22 total (10 seniors, five juniors, seven sophomores).
Outlook: Nash previously was an assistant at Northville and inherited a team that has made three straight MHSAA Finals and finished sixth a year ago. The District score was the eighth-highest overall in Division 1 this season and resulted in a championship; Hartland also finished ahead of league champ Grand Blanc at their Regional. Seniors Jenna Seychel and Shelby Snider both received all-region honorable mentions last season.
LAKE ORION
Rank: No. 6.
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association Red.
Coach: Nicole Hills, second season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 782.6 at the Regional.
Team composition: 24 total (seven seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Hills led Lake Orion to a fourth-place finish in her first season as head coach and District and Regional titles heading into this weekend. The Dragons’ top Round 2 (229.9) and Round 3 (318.1) scores both rank among the top 10 in Division 1 this winter. Senior Julia Waelchli and junior Morgan Duerden were the team’s all-state first-teamers last season, and senior Sara Blodgett earned an honorable mention.
LIVONIA STEVENSON
Rank: Unranked.
League finish: First in KLAA Central and Kensington.
Coach: Blair Koon, fifth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 784.54 at the District.
Team composition: 32 total (11 seniors, nine juniors, six sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: Stevenson has won four straight KLAA division titles and an overall conference championship under Koon, who moved up to varsity after coaching both the freshman and then junior varsity teams – and this weekend she will lead the Spartans into the MHSAA Finals for the first time. They are scoring their best when it counts – they’ve gone over 784 both weekends of the postseason to finish runner-up both times to No. 2-ranked Rochester. All three of Stevenson's round scores rank among the top eight for those rounds in Division 1, with the best Round 1 of 237.8 second on that list. Senior Alissa Remijan and junior Kristina Smith earned all-region honorable mentions last season.
ROCHESTER
Rank: No. 2.
League finish: Third in OAA Red.
Coach: Susan Wood, 34th season.
Championship history: Twelve MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 792.16 in the District.
Team composition: 28 total (15 seniors, 10 juniors, three sophomores).
Outlook: Despite a third-place league finish, this could be the season the Falcons regain the MHSAA title to add to District and Regional championships won the last two weekends. Rochester has posted the highest scores in all three rounds and overall this season and scored more than 780 points overall five times including in its last three events. Senior Emily Telesco earned an all-region honorable mention in 2014.
ROCHESTER STONEY CREEK
Rank: No. 1.
League finish: First in OAA Red.
Coach: Tricia Williams, 12th season.
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2010.
Top score: 782.06.
Team composition: 26 total (10 seniors, seven juniors, eight sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Stoney Creek has a claim to winning the most competitive league in the state this season, with two other teams from the OAA Red also in the Division 1 Final. The Cougars finished third at both their District and Regional, but scored more than 781 points at both and should improve mightily on last season’s eighth-place finish. Seniors Payton Dimoff and Sarah Koch and junior Asha Cook all earned all-region first-team honors last winter.
STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON
Rank: No. 5
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red.
Coach: Brianna Verdoodt, 10th season.
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up in 2011.
Top score: 775.66 in the District.
Team composition: 41 overall (four seniors, 12 juniors, 11 sophomores, 14 freshmen)
Outlook: After a season away, Verdoodt is back as coach – and Stevenson is back at the Finals for the third time in four seasons after missing in 2014. The Titans are especially strong in Round 3 – their best score of 318.2 ranks eighth in Division 1 this season – and their average overall score of 766.312 is fifth. Senior Sophia Gojcaj and junior Kenzi Denoff earned all-district second-team honors last season.
PHOTO: Rochester Hills Stoney Creek performs a routine during last season's Division 1 Final at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex.