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.)
D1 Preview: Adams' Title Streak Up Against Field of Past Champions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 3, 2022
Rochester Adams has risen above the rest of Division 1 to win the last two Finals championships, and few would argue with the Highlanders as at least one of the favorites heading into Friday’s season-ending competition.
But the Grand Rapids Delta Plex also will welcome back the two most successful championship winners in Division 1/Class A history, plus four more teams that have finished first or second at this event over the last decade and an eighth team that came in third only two seasons ago.
Division 1 competition begins at 6 p.m. Friday. Tickets cost $10 and may be bought at the Delta Plex, and all four Finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and viewable with a subscription. More information, including the spectator seating chart, is posted at MHSAA.com.
Below is a look at all eight finalists:
GRAND BLANC
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League.
Coach: Christina Swansey, 11th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 790.92.
Team composition: 24 total (six seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: The Bobcats finished fourth last season, their fourth straight finish among the top five in Division 1, and they could make another run this weekend at a first top-two finish after coming in third in 2020. They won their District and Regional the last two weeks going over 786 points at both. Seniors Adrianna Fuller and Isabella Haber are returning all-state first teamers, senior Jackie Kloph made the second team last season and junior Nevaeh Keller earned honorable mention.
GRANDVILLE
League finish: Third in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Julie Smith-Boyd, 41st season
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), 10 runner-up finishes.
Top score: 785.6.
Team composition: 25 total (eight seniors, two juniors, 14 sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Grandville returned to the Finals after a season away in 2021 and claimed its 16th top-two finish, placing second – its highest since 2016. This season’s team has posted its top two scores over its last two competitions, winning its District and finishing third at its Regional. Senior Elyse Friberg made the all-state first team last season, seniors Cece Duffy, Santana Duffy and Ashley Lam made the second, and senior Alexis Parker and sophomore Lexsee Pawloski earned honorable mentions.
HARTLAND
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold
Coach: Candace Fahr, fifth season
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2013.
Top score: 787.16 at Regional
Team composition: 26 total (one senior, nine juniors, 12 sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Hartland missed the Finals last season but is back for the third time in four years – contending this time but also likely building for the next few with large junior and sophomore classes anchoring the roster. The Eagles have scored 782 or higher four of their last five competitions. Junior Lily Pies earned an all-District honorable mention in 2021.
HUDSONVILLE
League finish: Second in O-K Red
Coach: Andrea Crowley, fifth season
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2012.
Top score: N/A but did score 783.94 at Regional
Team composition: 29 total (12 seniors, 13 sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Hudsonville is back at the Finals for the first time since 2017, following a sizable senior class after just missing with a fifth-place Regional finish last season. The Eagles finished only 38 hundredths of a point off the lead at their District two weeks ago, also scoring better than 780 points at that meet. Seniors Jadyn Jarosch, Ava Ham and Amanda White all earned all-Regional recognition in 2021.
PLYMOUTH
League finish: Third in KLAA Gold.
Coach: Samantha Koehler, seventh season
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2020.
Top score: 787.98 at District.
Team composition: 31 total (11 seniors, eight juniors, eight sophomores, four freshmen)
Outlook: Plymouth has been in the championship mix the last two seasons finishing third last year and second in 2020. The Wildcats won their District two weeks ago by nearly eight points, and their 787.16 at the Regional was their second-highest score this winter. Senior Allison Cassar is a returning two-time all-state first teamer, while Avery Maruszewski and Natalia Muzquiz Inda made the second team in 2021 and senior Hailey Tocco and junior Lexi Macyda earned honorable mentions.
ROCHESTER
League finish: Third in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Susan Wood, 41st season
Championship history: 14 MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), four runner-up finishes.
Top score: 789.9 at District
Team composition: 25 total (nine seniors, nine juniors, four sophomores, three freshmen)
Outlook: The MHSAA record holder for most Finals championships in this sport is back after a 2021 season derailed by COVID-19, and with plenty of power having nearly reached 790 points at both the District and Regional. The Falcons are made up mostly of upperclassmen and do have Finals experience on which to draw, with senior Holly McDonald an all-state second teamer and senior Isabella Olivares earning honorable mention when the team finished fifth in 2020.
ROCHESTER ADAMS
League finish: First in OAA Red.
Coach: Brooke Miller, eighth season
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2021 and 2020, three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 792.16 at District.
Team composition: 25 total (nine seniors, 10 juniors, six sophomores).
Outlook: Adams has moved from a back-to-back runner-up in 2018 and 2019 to a back-to-back champion the last two seasons, clearing the field last winter by nearly eight points. And that said, they have two scores this season higher than their highest heading into Finals weekend a year ago, posting them to win District and Regional titles. Senior Gigi Schultz made the all-state first team last season, while seniors Christina Truszkowski, Sabrina Lee and Destini Dorkins made the second team and junior Emma Maynard earned an honorable mention.
ROCHESTER HILLS STONEY CREEK
League finish: Second in OAA Red.
Coach: Tricia Williams, 19th season
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2019 and 2010.
Top score: 790.30 at District.
Team composition: 21 total (nine seniors, three juniors, eight sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Stoney Creek returned to the Finals last season and finished eighth, and its best score this season is nearly two points better than this time a year ago. The Cougars have scored 781 or better at eight competitions and 787 or higher three of their last four. Seniors Ella DeGraw, Rachael Kim and Jenna Lanfear earned all-Regional recognition last season.
PHOTO Rochester Adams competes during Round 2 of last season’s Division 1 Finals at Breslin Center. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)