D2 Comes Down to Rivals Once More, but Allen Park Holds On to Complete 3-Peat
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 7, 2026
MOUNT PLEASANT – Veteran Allen Park coach Julie Goodwin jumped off the coach’s podium after her team's Round 3 showing Saturday and arrived swiftly at the side of the mat to celebrate with her delirious team.
“We needed a good one, and the girls really delivered,” said Goodwin, who is in her 24th year as AP’s coach. “I felt really good about things after that, and I wanted to get over there and celebrate.”
Allen Park’s strong final round turned out to be just barely enough to hold off Downriver Conference rival Gibraltar Carlson, which took the mat right after the Jaguars and showed no fear, nailing a very difficult routine and posting the best Round 3 score in the eight-team field.
In the end, it was the Jaguars’ higher scores in the first two rounds that allowed them to three-peat as Division 2 champions at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena, finishing with a final score of 790.40 – which was a scant 0.32 of a point better than that scored by Carlson (790.08).
Carleton Airport (779.50) placed third, followed by Walled Lake Western (772.00) and Mason (769.46).
Allen Park has won three Division 2 titles in a row and six of the last seven, with Carlson capturing the 2023 crown.
In fact, it was 19 years ago – all the way back to 2007 and Holland Christian – when a team other than Allen Park or Carlson won the Division 2 championship. Allen Park has won eight titles over that stretch and Carlson 11 (out of its 12 overall).
Goodwin noted that this year’s team was only the second during her career to go through a season undefeated.
Carlson finished second to AP in all of those major meets, which had the Marauders determined going into the Finals.
“We decided that we were going to give them a special Round 3 at state,” said fifth-year Carlson coach Alyssa Tocco, who happens to be a 2016 Allen Park graduate who cheered for Goodwin. “We took a huge risk with a very difficult final round, and it paid off for us. The girls had fire in them this whole week.”
Carlson’s final-round score of 321.80 bested Allen Park’s (321.30) for the first time this season, but it wasn’t quite enough to pull off the upset.
The Marauders had one of the youngest teams out of all 32 at the Finals, with just two seniors – Jaidyn Cox and Kendra Ochab. The team’s two captains were both juniors, Kaitlyn Skinner and Calli Baker.
“It is such an honor to cheer for Carlson and to represent all of the great teams they’ve had through the years,” said Baker. “We will definitely be back again.”
Allen Park also had a young team this winter, with just four seniors, led by returning all-stater Sophia Ramey. The other seniors were Delilah Cotton, Savannah Flores and Samantha Unger.
The Jaguars were powered by a standout group of seven juniors, including three returning first team all-staters in Ella Brown, Peyton Keys and Isabella Robinet, along with Daryn Bailey (second team) and Ava Rice (honorable mention).
Ramey said things were a little dicey going into Round 3 on Saturday, as the Jaguars went first in that round and didn’t start preparing early enough.
“We weren’t quite ready, we were in the middle of the chant we do when they called us up,” said Ramey. “It wasn’t ideal, but we just raced out there and did our thing one last time.”
PHOTOS (Top) Allen Park coach Julie Goodwin presents the Division 2 championship trophy to her team Saturday. (Middle) The Jaguars perform a routine at McGuirk Arena.
The Center for D4 Cheer Champions
March 2, 2013
By Dean Holzwarth
Special to Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – The Michigan Center competitive cheer team didn’t perform to its full potential in Round 3 of the MHSAA Division 4 Final.
A strong Round 2 performance prior to that more than made up for it.
The Cardinals sputtered in their final round Saturday afternoon at the DeltaPlex, but it didn’t prevent them from pulling off the three-peat.
Michigan Center won its third straight MHSAA Division 4 crown by less than four points over runner-up Pewamo Westphalia.
The Cardinals tallied a three-round score of 731.26, while the Pirates made a late charge and finished with a 727.52.
“If it wasn’t for having such a strong Round 1 and Round 2 score, we wouldn’t have won this competition,” Michigan Center coach Jessica Trefry said. “We struggled a little bit in Round 3, and unfortunately it wasn’t as high as we hoped to be. But as a whole, we did enough to get it done.”
Michigan Center, which also won the title in 2009 before its current run, took a commanding 11-point lead following a dominating Round 2 that has been its trademark.
The Cardinals, who didn’t get outscored in Round 2 all season, registered a score of 219.96 to provide a much-needed cushion entering the final round.
“Round 2 has been a strength of ours all year, and my girls are incredible athletes and are strong with their skills in that round,” Trefry said. “I tell them that no one can out-do them in that round, and it’s true. It is an amazing group that is so in sync and powerful.”
Michigan Center had an early fall in Round 3, and its score (288.1) was the second lowest of the eight teams.
The team, however, recovered from the early miscue.
“I did take a fall, but it didn’t matter because I knew the rest of the round I had to stick everything perfectly,” said Michigan Center’s Megan Shown, the team’s lone senior. “In every round I knew we could dominate in, and obviously we did. This is amazing, three of them in a row back-to-back-to-back. I can’t believe it. I’m a senior, so it’s the best way to go out.”
Pewamo-Westphalia was seeking its ninth MHSAA title, and first since 2010, but wound up with a runner-up finish for the third straight year.
“It was hard to come back from that difference in Round 2, but they did amazing,” Pirates coach Staci Myers said. “It is the best they’ve ever done in all three rounds, and I couldn’t be prouder. We were excited to be here, and to come out with a medal and second place.”
Pewamo Westphalia narrowed the gap on Michigan Center by delivering the second-highest Round 3 score.
“They came out and hit Round 3, and I couldn’t ask them to do anymore,” Myers said. “It was the best they have performed it this year, and we were able to stay in second.”
Michigan Center defended despite graduating nine seniors from last year’s squad, and with the return of all but one for next season, the future remains bright.
“We returned some strong athletes, and they had this in their mind from the very beginning,” Trefry said.
“This was their goal, to be here and win it again. I have a big group of juniors, and now they want to get it done again next year. It gets harder and harder every year, but I’m proud of this group and the effort they’ve put in this year. I’ve enjoyed this year.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Michigan Center competes during Saturday's Division 4 Final at the DeltaPlex. (Bottom) Michigan Center poses with its latest MHSAA championship trophy. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)