'One Last Time' Becomes Best of All as Notre Dame Prep Scores Season High in Repeat
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 7, 2026
MOUNT PLEASANT – In the moment before Pontiac Notre Dame Prep started its final routine of the season, as thousands of fans waited in hushed anticipation, coach Jocelyn Welsh said three words from the coaching podium through tears:
“One last time.”
It was the final performance of Round 3 on Saturday at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena, and the Fighting Irish delivered another powerhouse routine to clinch their second-consecutive Division 3 title and seventh in school history.
Welsh’s emotional words certainly registered with her team on the mat.
“When she said that and got choked up, it brought all of our emotions together,” said NDP senior Maddie Rennwald. “At that moment, I just knew that we were going to be state champs.”
Notre Dame Prep, which won five consecutive Division 3 titles from 2014 to 2018, delivered the best score of the eight competing schools in all three rounds.
Despite posting a season-best total score of 787.84 (more than eight full points better than any other team), the Irish were not the most excited team on Saturday – not by a long shot.
That was definitely Armada, which used an incredible Round 3 performance to rise from fourth place to second, earning the Tigers their first “mitten” – the nickname given to the MHSAA team trophy for champions and runners-up, which is a wooden cutout in the shape of Michigan.
Armada, which is located in the Thumb and placed third at both Districts and Regionals behind perennial powers Notre Dame Prep and Richmond, had never placed higher than fourth at the Finals.
“We told our girls that they had to step up and force a change, because in our meets it’s always the same two teams at the top,” said 10th-year Armada coach Deanna Misiak. “I’m just so happy because we tell our girls that their hard work will pay off and, today, it happened.”
Armada finished second with 779.04 points, followed by Grosse Ile (777.50) and Richmond (769.48).
The huddled Tigers broke into hysterics when Grosse Ile was announced as third place, meaning their impressive final round had moved them up to the best Finals finish in school history.
“When we realized we got second, we were all like: ‘Is this real life? Is this actually happening right now?’” said Armada’s Abby Groen, one of just five seniors on a 25-member team which features 18 sophomores or freshmen. “This is a huge stepping stone for Armada cheer, for sure.”
Notre Dame Prep senior flyer Jenna Robin said her team was extremely motivated to repeat as champion, especially after the Irish had finished second in four of the previous six seasons.
“Our goal was to prove to everybody that we really are the best team in the state, and we couldn’t do that by dropping back to second,” said Robin. “Even though we had the lead today, we wanted to do our best each round and make that gap even bigger.”
Robin and junior Eva Thomas were both returning first team all-staters for NDP, while Rennwald, junior Sadie Shook and sophomore Holly Haras were all honorable mention selections.
Welsh, who is in her third season as head coach after serving as an assistant at Division 1 power Rochester Adams, noted that this championship was especially satisfying for her, as the Irish had to rebuild after losing a standout group of seniors from last year’s team.
The Irish, who do not compete in a conference, finished second to Richmond at Districts, but then won their Regional by more than six points and the Finals by almost nine.
“It was more of a gradual climb for us this season,” said Welsh, who is assisted by Alivia Tate and Shelley McGuire. “We had to replace about half of the girls in every round, so it took a little time, but they were ready and confident today.”
Hudson Meets Challenge Again in Extending Championship Streak to 4
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2023
MOUNT PLEASANT – Hudson High School is going to need a bigger trophy case, and soon, the way its winter sports teams are piling up championships.
Hudson’s competitive cheer team won its fourth-straight Division 4 title Thursday at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena, and the Tigers now have finished either first or second in the state seven years in a row.
“Do you want me to cry?” said 26th-year Hudson coach Kelly Bailey when asked about her emotions shortly after her team’s dominant 771.04-point performance, more than 25 points ahead of the field.
“We gave them some tough stuff each round and that added to the pressure, but they wanted the challenge and they wanted to do it. They pulled it off.”
Hudson’s cheer program is engaged in a healthy competition with the school’s wrestling program, which just five days earlier won its 10th Division 4 team championship over the past 14 years.
That kind of simultaneous success for two programs at the same school, in the same season, is remarkable – and the orange-and-black-clad Tigers fans were out in force Thursday afternoon in Mount Pleasant, just like they were last Friday in Kalamazoo.
Hudson produced the highest score in all three rounds of the Final, never allowing the other seven teams to gain momentum in an upset bid.
“There was a lot of pressure to win it again,” said Hudson senior Annalyse Ames, one of four returning first-team all-staters for the Tigers. “But I was more excited than nervous. I knew we would go out on the mat and kill it.”
The challenging routines led the way to the 771.04 winning score, which was close to the team’s season-best of 774.94, and much higher than its score at its Regional (740.38) and its season-average score (750.42).
Other returning all-state first-teamers for Hudson this winter were senior Cheyenne Eichler and juniors Rylie Bloomer and Victoria Hawkins. Seniors Ellie Bean, Shantzee Henderson and Isabella Moreno were second team all-state and junior Paige Clark was honorable mention in 2022.
Hudson’s roster was filled with upperclassmen, with seven seniors and seven juniors on the 19-athlete roster.
Emotions were all over the board for Hudson’s seniors, who never were outplaced by a Division 4 school in any competition during their four-year careers.
“I feel like I’m on top of the world and super sad at the same time,” said Eichler.
Gibraltar Carlson has the competitive cheer Finals record with six consecutive titles from 2011-16. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (2014-18) and Rochester (1999-2003) both won five straight championships.
Michigan Center, which was up in Division 3 in 2022 and didn’t make the Finals, came back strong this winter and capped it with a runner-up trophy Thursday.
The Cardinals, who won the Cascades Conference and took second at their Regional behind Hudson, took second again at 745.20 points – just shy of their season-best of 745.94.
“I am so proud because these girls rose to a level today that they have not had all season,” said Michigan Center coach Jessica Trefry, who shares the head coaching duties with Bree Cash. “Hudson is an amazing team, but I can say that we brought our best today.”
Michigan Center, which has won five Finals championships, finished runner-up for the second time.
Adrian Madison (741.16) took third, followed by Hart (739.56) and Merrill (730.20).
Hudson, a small community in southeast Michigan with fewer than 3,000 residents, was for a long time best-known for its 72-game winning streak in football from 1968 to 1975.
But, no question, Hudson’s competitive cheer and wrestling programs have put the town back on the map.
“We feel the pressure to keep it going, for sure,” said Bailey, who is assisted by Lyndsi Bailey and Jacque Marry. “But the Finals is a little different, because once we’re here, we’re done learning and we’re done fixing.
“I told them just to go out there and have a blast.”
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson is 16 athletes strong during this round of Thursday’s Division 4 Final. (Middle) Michigan Center competes on the way to its runner-up finish.