No Near-Miss This Time as P-W Takes Back Title with Determined Dominance
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 6, 2026
MOUNT PLEASANT – After coming oh-so-close the past two years – and finishing second four times over the past six – longtime competitive cheer power Pewamo-Westphalia is back on top.
“The heartbreaking loss last year pushed all of us,” said Ava Simon, one of six seniors on P-W’s 22-girl roster this season. “We just had this fire burning under us ever since we stepped off the mat last year.”
Pewamo-Westphalia scorched the rest of the field at Friday’s Division 4 Finals at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena, posting the best score in all three rounds for a winning 776.34 – nearly 22 points better than runner-up and 2025 champion Hanover-Horton (754.36) – to claim its first title since 2019.
The Pirates were determined to end their recent trend of runner-up finishes, taking a commanding 7.2-point lead after a near-perfect first round, building it up to 17.8 points after Round 2 and then to a final margin of 21.98 points.
P-W coach Staci Myers, a former cheer standout who is now in her 19th year as head coach at her alma mater, said she never considered scaling back her team’s challenging Round 3 routine, even with the big lead.
“Our Round 3 is elite, and we’ve never had one quite like it here at P-W,” said Meyers, who is assisted by Olivia Nurenberg, Amber Martin, Amber Weber and Ramon Beaulieu – all of whom cheered for her at P-W.
“It’s hard and there are some unique things in there, but they step up and perform it flawlessly every time, and they did it again today.”
The Pirates, who have been remarkably consistent all season, posted their season-best score of 780.08 at their District. They were not quite as sharp in winning their Regional at 754.08, but went out with an impressive start-to-finish showing at CMU.
P-W drew plenty of energy from a raucous throng of blue-and-gold-clad fans, who packed their school’s designated section in the middle of the arena and also filled one of the end sections.
The Pirates do not pick captains, but Myers said the team has been led all season by its six seniors – Taryn Schafer, Karsyn Simmon, Karly Bierstetel, Leslie Bernal-Ponce, Brianna Feldpausch and Simon.
“It’s bittersweet right now because us seniors are so close, but we couldn’t have asked for a better ending,” said Bernal-Ponce.
The most drama came with the battle for second place, as Hanover-Horton edged Sanford Meridian (754.12). Hudson, which has won six of the last 10 Division 4 titles, took fourth at 743.32.
Meridian actually posted the second-best scores in Rounds 2 and 3, but still finished 24 hundredths of a point behind Hanover-Horton.
The Comets, who never even had made it to the Finals until 2024 (finishing sixth) before their stunning win last year, took second this time despite losing eight seniors off that championship team. They were hoping to duplicate last year’s accomplishment, when they took second to P-W at Regionals before flipping the script at the Finals, but the Pirates were just too strong.
“We had a little bit of rebuilding to do after last year, no question,” said veteran coach Sarah DuBois, who concluded her fifth year at Hanover-Horton. “But these girls stepped up and did it.”
Pewamo-Westphalia is also a very young team, as 14 of the 22 athletes on the roster were either freshmen or sophomores. The team had only two juniors, with one of them returning all-stater Brynn Feldpausch.
The return of 16 contributors off this championship team bodes well for the future at P-W, which has now won 10 cheer Finals titles.
Legendary coach Sherry Fedewa, who started the program in the 1990s, won six titles while Myers now has won four. The Pirates also have 14 second-place finishes.
“It’s a high bar, that’s for sure,” said Myers, a 2001 P-W graduate. “Our school has had success in a lot of sports and it’s contagious, and everyone wants to experience those feelings.
“We are going to get back to work and try to keep doing it.”
Hudson Posts Top Scores in Every Round of Dominating 3-Peat Win
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2022
GRAND RAPIDS – As freshmen, Hudson’s Maize Sholl and Logan Parks felt the heartbreak and disappointment of missing out on a competitive cheer state championship by the slimmest of margins.
It was a feeling the pair would never have to experience again.
Hudson delivered a dominating performance Friday to win the Division 4 Final at the Delta Plex.
It was the Tigers’ third consecutive Finals title and fourth in the last five years.
Hudson finished with a three-round total of 759.80 and set a new Finals record for widest margin of victory.
Adrian Madison placed runner-up at 709.12. It was the Trojans’ first top-two finish.
“It’s just unbelievable to me and it’s like a dream come true,” Parks said. “I think freshman year when we lost by .36 (points), it just brought a fire to us and we just kept pushing. Everyone on this team has such a passion for cheer.”
Hudson finished runner-up to Pewamo-Westphalia in 2019, but hasn’t been defeated at the Finals since.
“Obviously we had a lot of doubts our freshmen year, and it really motivated us,” Sholl said. “It put a fire on our rear end. Coming out and winning all three rounds and breaking the record for most points won by was incredible.”
The Tigers were heavy favorites entering the day and proved quickly that they weren’t going to relinquish that role.
Hudson recorded a high score of 227.90 in Round 1 to grab a commanding lead. The advantage ballooned to more than 30 following an impressive Round 2.
“They were on fire all day,” Tigers coach Kelly Bailey said. “I still can’t ever get rid of their nerves, but I’m so proud of them.
“We talk a lot about preparing ourselves for this moment, and this feels absolutely amazing. We’ve won them all for these kinds of kids.”
Hudson’s roster included only three seniors, and several underclassmen who shined in all three rounds.
“We had a lot of kids who stepped up this year, and they really brought the fire and made us better,” Sholl said. “We put in a lot of hard work, and everyone was dedicated.”
Despite the large lead entering Round 3, the Tigers capped the day with another high score, 311.
“After we were told that we were up by a lot, it was just about going out there and having fun because it was our last time on the mat,” Sholl said. “This is the best thing ever, and there’s nothing better than ending your high school career with a three-peat.”
Madison’s previous best finish at the Finals was fourth the past two years, but the Trojans held off third-place Lawton with the second-highest score in Round 3.
“Coming into today, my biggest expectation was for them to peak and to do their best of the season,” Madison coach Sarah Kope said. “They did that, and they were phenomenal. The past two seasons have been crazy with quarantines constantly and having girls in and out, and they’ve just been extremely resilient. I’m very proud of them.”
PHOTOS Hudson (top) and Adrian Madison (middle) compete during Friday’s Division 4 Final at Grand Rapids’ Delta Plex. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)