Schultz Family Puts Final Bow on Multi-Generation, 30-Year Ties to Adams Cheer
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 19, 2026
ROCHESTER HILLS — There’s a famous saying from Dr. Seuss that goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
That’s definitely something Rochester Adams competitive cheerleading coach Brooke Miller and her program are dealing with now that this season is done.
On one hand, Miller admits it’s going to be a sad and strange sight not being able to coach a member of the Schultz family anymore.
But on the other hand, she’ll never stop smiling over what it was like to coach a family that provided a lineage of more than 30 years to Adams cheerleading.
It started during the 1990s when Stephanie Schultz (then Sutherland) was a cheerleader at Adams. In 2017, her oldest daughter Carly Schultz joined the program, followed a year later by her younger sister Gigi.
Finally, the youngest of the three sisters, Libby, came along and was a senior this year for an Adams team that took third at the Division 1 Final.
“With Libby now graduating, it truly feels like the end of an era and it will certainly be a significant loss for the program,” Miller said. “The entire family has been among the biggest supporters of Adams cheer.”
Libby Schultz was technically a four-year varsity cheerleader at Adams, but it feels like she was a member of the team her entire life growing up around her sisters.
Libby said her mother would frequently dress her and her older sisters in cheerleading uniforms and have cheerleading-themed birthday parties, all the while telling stories of her days cheering for Adams in the 90s.
“I can only imagine my mom with her big perm, dark hair flipping around in a uniform that looked like it was in a ‘Grease’ movie,” Libby quipped.
But Libby quickly fell in love with cheerleading following the family around to competitions or other events.
“I remember being in the back of my mom’s car as she drove them from practice to practice and I would watch them so intently, that I couldn't wait for it to be my turn,” Libby said. “I loved cheer so much that our Rochester community cheer team let me cheer as the youngest girl ever because every practice I would sit in the sideline and imitate every move.”
Miller said Libby was always a constant presence around cheerleading events involving Adams, whether it was volunteering out of love and passion or providing support to her sisters or others on the team.
But even Miller admitted she underestimated just how valuable Libby would be once she finally arrived in high school.
“I always believed she would make an impact once she officially joined the team, but I didn’t realize just how significant that impact would be until she was named captain during her sophomore year – the first time we’ve ever had a captain that young,” Miller said. “Because she had been involved with the program for so long, she came in with an understanding of the team, the culture, and the program’s needs that was far beyond most athletes her age.”
Miller said Libby will be nearly impossible to replace, given how well she led others in the program.
“She worked hard every day,” Miller said. “Constantly pushing herself to her limits while encouraging her teammates to do the same. She never complained and consistently reminded the team to keep their ‘why’ in mind so we could continue pushing through even the toughest days.”
The good news for Libby is that her cheerleading days are not over. She will continue to be involved in cheerleading as a member of Michigan State’s co-ed team, joining older sister Gigi.
“Cheerleading not only has allowed for me to truly understand what it takes to be a good leader and teammate but has helped me to create better time management skills throughout my life,” Libby said. “Because high school has consisted of loads of homework, being student council president as well as having cheerleading practice every day for two hours, I have learned to manage my day and time more effectively.”
No matter what the future holds, Libby and the rest of the Schultz family have forever been shaped by their high school experiences at Adams and are leaving a legacy that will forever be remembered.
“Cheerleading has also enhanced my high school experience by helping me become more confident and involved in school activities,” Libby said. “Performing in front of crowds at games and events pushed me out of my comfort zone and improved my confidence and communication skills. Overall, it made school more exciting because I felt connected to the teams and the community through celebrating wins together and creating my best memories.”
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Libby Schultz stands front and center in Rochester Adams’ formation during the team’s Round 3 routine at this season’s Division 1 Finals at Central Michigan University. (Middle) The Schultz sisters take a photo together during a youth community team competition, left, and Carly, Gigi and Libby Schultz take another photo together a few years later when Carly and Gigi are on the Adams team. (Below) The Schultz family, from left: Stephanie, dad Don, brother Ryan, Libby, Gigi and Carly. (Finals photo by Hockey Weekly Action Photos. Family photos courtesy of the Schultz family.)
D3 Preview: Powers Converge Again
March 6, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three teams that have combined to win the last four Division 3 competitive cheer championships again will contend at Saturday’s MHSAA Final.
Pontiac Notre Dame, Richmond and Comstock Park annually help finish the weekend’s final session, starting at 6 p.m. But five others are seeking their first MHSAA cheer titles – including two that have posted scores among the top four in the division this winter.
Following are glances at all eight Division 3 teams competing at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex. All four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a subscription basis.
ARMADA
Rank: No. 5
League finish: Second in Blue Water Area Conference.
Coach: Tammi St. Onge, fourth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 771.12 at the Regional.
Team composition: 26 total (two seniors, nine juniors, three sophomores, 12 freshmen).
Outlook: Armada will return to the Finals for the second straight season after finishing fifth in 2014 and emerging from a District and Regional over the last two weeks that both featured the top two-ranked teams in the division. The Tigers have posted their top two scores of the season the last two weeks and own the top Round 3 score (320.8) in Division 3 this winter – that score also ranks third for all divisions combined. Junior Natalie Groen and sophomore Aja Bagley made the all-region second team last season.
COMSTOCK PARK
Rank: No. 3.
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue.
Coach: Kathy Felty, 25th season.
Championship history: Division 3 champions 2011 and 2009, three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 769.48 at the Regional.
Team composition: 21 overall (11 seniors, three juniors, five sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: After a fourth place in 2013, Comstock Park moved back up to second at last season’s Final for its sixth top-two finish in seven seasons. The Panthers won all but four of their competitions this season, finishing second the other times, and have scored 763 points three of their last four events including wins at the District and Regional. A number of veterans will lead the title surge this weekend; seniors Sabrina Arnone and Brianna Pincombe made the all-state first team last season, while senior Hayley Robinson and sophomore Alyssa Geraghty made the second and senior Alexis Donley earned an honorable mention.
HOWARD CITY TRI-COUNTY
Rank: Unranked.
League finish: Second in Lakes 8 Conference.
Coach: Jennifer Laskey, ninth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 732.72 at the Regional.
Team composition: 19 total (four seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Tri-County will make a second straight trip to the Finals after placing eighth last season. The Vikings also made their fifth straight Regional this winter and posted their top two scores the last two weekends. Senior Emily Rienks and junior Taylor Stressman earned all-region honorable mentions last season.
LAKE ODESSA LAKEWOOD
Rank: No. 4.
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference.
Coach: Kim Martin, 21st season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 767.46.
Team composition: 21 total (10 seniors, six juniors, five sophomores).
Outlook: The Vikings are back in the Finals after missing last season and finishing eighth in 2013, and they’ve taken first or second in all of their events this season. Lakewood especially shines in Round 1, where its best score of 235.7 is the best in Division 3. The Vikings finished second in the Regional and earned a District title. Junior Samantha Morrison made the all-region second team in 2014.
ONSTED
Rank: No. 9.
League finish: First in Lenawee County Athletic Association.
Coach: Sarah Spears, second season.
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1994.
Top score: 770.66 at the Regional.
Team composition: 22 total (seven seniors, two juniors, six sophomores, seven freshmen).
Outlook: Onsted opened this season with nine first places in its first 10 events and have returned to the MHSAA Finals for the first time since 2007, when Spears was a junior. She’s also led the Wildcats to league titles in both of her seasons and some impressive scores this winter – the top overall score is fourth-highest in Division 3, and their best Round 3 of 317.1 ranks second. Senior Lauren Richardson made the all-region second team last season.
PAW PAW
Rank: No. 10.
League finish: First in Wolverine Conference.
Coach: Stefanie Miller, sixth season.
Championship history: Seeking first MHSAA Finals top-two finish.
Top score: 746.68 at the District.
Team composition: 16 total (six seniors, seven juniors, three sophomores).
Outlook: Paw Paw has posted top-seven Finals finishes each of the last three seasons and will enter Saturday having posted two of its top three scores over the last two weekends. The Redskins opened this season by winning eight straight events and have broken 735 points three of the last four. Senior Chloe Bogema made the all-state first team last season, while senior Rylee Cunningham made the second and senior Maya Bishop earned an honorable mention.
PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP
Rank: No. 1.
League finish: Second in the Detroit Catholic League.
Coach: Beth Campbell, third season.
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2014, runner-up 2013.
Top score: 781.08 at the Regional.
Team composition: 29 total (seven seniors, six juniors, seven sophomores, nine freshmen).
Outlook: The reigning Division 3 champion has arguably been even better in 2014-15 with a top score entering the weekend 17 points higher than a year ago. Notre Dame Prep has the top Round 2 (231.18) and overall scores in Division 3 this winter and its average score (763.524) is nearly 12 points higher than the field. The Fighting Irish have broken 760 points in nine of 11 events. Seniors Alysa Gonzalez and Emily Schiavi made the all-state first team last season, while seniors Olivia Riley and Morgan Gales made the second team and juniors Paige Lombardo and Hannah Brzustewicz earned honorable mentions.
RICHMOND
Rank: No. 2.
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference.
Coach: Kelli Matthes, seventh season.
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2013 and 2012, runner-up 2011.
Top score: 772.4 at the Regional.
Team composition: 24 total (three seniors, two juniors, 12 sophomores, seven freshmen).
Outlook: The Blue Devils finished fourth last season but have posted the second-highest overall score in Division 3 and have the second-highest average score (751.875) despite a team mostly made up of underclassmen. Seniors Sarahanne Marshall and Angel Deal made the all-state second team last season, and junior Emily Fitzsimons and sophomore Kaleigh Taylor earned honorable mentions.
PHOTO: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep claimed its first MHSAA title last season after finishing Division 3 runner-up in 2012-13.