Unified Sports: Unified Goal, Unified Effort
By
Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
April 11, 2019
The following publisher's note and cover story were featured in this winter's edition of the MHSAA benchmarks magazine.
At its best, sport breaks down barriers and differences through promoting teamwork, inclusiveness and humility. At its worst, we’ve seen sport do the opposite.
Obviously those involved in school sports aim to create a culture within every school which fosters the best of what all of us can be. Those places that do this best have created a culture in every hallway, classroom, playing field and gymnasium filled with diverse students pulling for one another and working together regardless of the different backgrounds, races, religions, abilities, physical stature or academic acumen of each person. A culture of understanding and acceptance is what we strive for in each of our school communities.
On Nov. 24, such a scene played out on the grand stage of the playing surface at Ford Field in Detroit. In what we hope will be the launching pad for many more such events, Unified Sports competitors from four MHSAA member schools competed simultaneously in two games prior to the MHSAA Division 7 Football Final.
Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program within Special Olympics which pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates for training and competition.
From the time competitors walked through the tunnel to perform in front of family, friends, and the appreciative crowds from New Lothrop and Madison Heights Madison awaiting kickoff for the 10 a.m. game, the enthusiasm was unmatched.
Following competition these Unified teams were given tours of the facility, including a visit to the Detroit Lions locker room. We intended to deliver a day filled with an experience and memory for a lifetime for our guests, and feedback suggests that was accomplished. But, make no mistake, the session left lasting impressions on the staff here at the MHSAA, as well.
Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta – schools represented at the 2018 Football Finals – are among the 300-plus schools statewide which are Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools®, and it is our hope that the number continues to grow around Michigan and throughout the country.
The MHSAA and Michigan Special Olympics have a wonderful relationship, and we will continue to plan with our valued partner for future events as opportunities present themselves.
There is no limit to the benefits of these games and such a partnership. And, no limit to the enthusiasm of its participants who are helping to redefine school cultures by helping us break down barriers and build inclusive school communities around this great state.
***
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
The pass was lofted high, and floating toward the end zone nearest the tunnel where teams enter the playing surface at Ford Field.
As players from both teams converged, the intended receiver came away with the ball, clutching his prize and raising his arms in jubilant triumph.
It was arguably the best catch of the Thanksgiving weekend football feast in Detroit, and undoubtedly a memory this player will never forget. Moments later, the ear-to-ear grin remained as he high-fived spectators and family members on the way to the tunnel and up to the locker room.
And all of this happened before the second day of MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals kicked off Saturday, Nov. 24.
The play was one of many memorable moments to take place during the first-ever Unified Champion School event held in conjunction with the MHSAA Football Finals. If this year’s exhibition was any indication, it will be the first of many to come.
“The event far exceeded our expectations, and in discussions with the students, coaches and parents involved, I think it exceeded their expectations as well,” said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. “The feedback was positive, and the thanks and appreciation we received was overwhelming.”
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (UCS) is an education-based project that uses sports and education programs to activate young people to develop school communities where all youth are agents of change – fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities.
Last summer, as Uyl was settling into his role as executive director at the MHSAA, Tim Hileman was acclimating himself to a similar role with Michigan Special Olympics. Both were replacing long-time leaders – Jack Roberts at the MHSAA and Lois Arnold at Special Olympics, who both had served their organizations for more than three decades.
The similarities brought Uyl and Hileman together, and they began to nurture seeds that had been planted by their predecessors.
“Mark reached out when the announcement was made that I was to become CEO of Michigan Special Olympics,” said Hileman. “We strongly believed in the benefits of a partnership between the two organizations. We talked about long-term plans and the goal of growing a culture of inclusion within our schools. A more immediate component was exploring existing opportunities to highlight a partnership, and what greater way to do that than at Ford Field during one of the most prominent weekends of the MHSAA sports season?”
The inaugural event included students from Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta school districts, each of which sponsor Unified teams.
Brighton, which has been in the game since 2016-17 and involves a combined 75 general education students and students with intellectual disabilities (I.D. students), recently earned national recognition for its Unified program.
“Andy Doupe, a faculty member who teaches special education here, brought the initiative to our district and it was a no-brainer that we needed to implement the program,” said John Thompson, athletic director at Brighton High School and a member of the MHSAA Representative Council. “It was a great opportunity to be supportive of all students in our community.”
Brighton Unified coach and faculty member Jody Renicker has helped take the lead.
“The foundation of Unified Sports is pretty simple,” Renicker said. “It's the idea that training and competing together is one of the fastest ways to friendship and understanding. The students discover that they are much more alike than they are different. This helps to dissolve the preconceptions and stereotypes often associated with people with disabilities.”
Just up the road in Holt, that community was gaining its own recognition, bringing home the Gold Medal from the USA Flag Football Championships in Seattle last summer. The lessons and experiences proved even more valuable.
“Athletes roomed with UCS partners,” said Val Suszko, a coach for the Holt/Mason program, which involves roughly 80 students with and without disabilities and is in its sixth year of existence. “The friendship that they developed over those 10 days was priceless. They are friends for life. They care for and protect each other. Without this experience, they wouldn’t have ever met.”
That’s the overriding goal of Unified athletics: to break down barriers within schools and communities while introducing young people to those with various challenges, offering opportunities to lead and assist.
“The inclusion of special needs kids and how it makes them feel is a wonderful part of the school community and program,” Thompson said. “We have a young lady with a prosthetic leg who never wore shorts because she was embarrassed. Now, being part of our basketball team, she wears shorts all the time.
“Naturally there’s a huge upside for the special needs students, but the general ed kids are being provided an opportunity to grow and develop leadership skills. The experiences open some eyes and break down some divisions that exist to make for an improved culture throughout the school. The melding of kids with different backgrounds of any kind is always good for perspective.”
Unified programs offer increased participation opportunity for the general education population as well as the I.D. students. For students who may not make the cut for school teams, or prefer to focus on academics or part-time jobs, the Unified option provides just what they are seeking. Others are varsity athletes looking for competition outside their preferred sport seasons.
“We receive a lot of interest from those partners who might have wanted to play on freshman, JV, or varsity teams but couldn’t meet the eligibility requirements or physically do not make the cuts at those levels of team tryouts,” said Renne Wyman, Unified coach at Sparta High School. “So they wander into the gym and join us. What happens is, the level of play ratchets up a notch or two. These kids initially come here to play, not necessarily help the intellectually disabled kids.
“But, then they start giving shooting advice, or directing them where to move offensively or whom to cover defensively. Suddenly they are talking to each other, and no adult staged the mentoring. It carries on between quarters, at halftime, before games and practices. They start texting and offering a seat in the cafeteria at lunch. I’m talking about major culture change in our building.”
This type of interaction serves to reduce the number of negative incidents in the hallways.
“Statistics show that these programs have proven to reduce bullying of the intellectually disabled population,” said Suszko of Holt/Mason. “To have an organized sports team and school support team is invaluable. The students with intellectual disabilities gain so much. They train together, play together and develop friendships through sports with the general school population.”
With such important life lessons in the balance, and 300-plus schools around Michigan sponsoring school programs, the time was right to further shine a spotlight on the product. In the past, Unified basketball events have been showcased during MHSAA Hoopfest events in conjunction with the Boys Basketball Finals, and it was time to take the next step.
“A partnership between the MHSAA and Special Olympics is a natural fit, and our goal is to assist in promoting inclusiveness and leadership components of Unified Champion Schools as opportunities at our tournaments allow,” Uyl said. “These are such worthwhile endeavors, and the student-athletes involved truly symbolize the best in school sports.”
The Ford Field event provided a chance for some serious competition on the field, along with countless smiles – and some tears – from onlookers and support groups following the action.
“My favorite story from that day came as Mark (Uyl) was addressing the group in the Lions locker room and thanking them for being there,” Hileman said. “I looked into the corner of the room and there’s a man – pretty good sized, tough-looking – standing there with his wife, and they’ve got tears in their eyes. The dad came up and told me, ‘I never thought I’d see my son play any kind of sport, and here he is at Ford Field. I’ll never forget this, and never watch a Lions game without thinking of this.’
“So many of our athletes are told what they can't do. Special Olympics is about showing what they can do.”
For Suszko, the highlights began earlier in the morning.
“The most memorable moment for me was watching the expressions on all of the athletes’ faces as they walked through the tunnel onto the field,” she said. “What a great opportunity. The hospitality that Mark Uyl, Nate Hampton, and the rest of the staff gave us was appreciated so much. The parents were excited. They loved seeing their athlete participating alongside the other high school football teams. Watching barriers being broken and teamwork being established is what inclusion is all about.”
There were plenty of emotions to go around, from the guests and the hosts.
“The kids and parents were over the moon when the invitation came. Ford Field, the MHSAA Finals, it really resonated with the kids, the school and families,” Thompson said. “Nate and Mark and all staff involved went out of their way to make it a wonderful and meaningful experience. They did more for the families and kids than anyone expected. We are very appreciative of the MHSAA continuing to work toward inclusion, and events like these help to spread the word.”
Spreading the word will help bolster an already strong movement both in Michigan and nationally. Hileman is excited for the future in partnering with the MHSAA for events like the one in November, which generate a high level of enthusiasm. In the near future, he has some more immediate goals.
“We are concentrating on expanding league play. That’s what sports are; athletes competing, and our athletes want to compete,” Hileman said. “We have league play in the O-K Conference, and in the Lansing area. Our goal and vision is to continue to build on the Unified conference experience; more competitions during the season.”
The Sparta program has been in place for four years, and numbers have increased from a handful to a total of 60 partners and Special Olympics athletes combined. Volunteers are a vital part of the initiative, and Wyman says hundreds of people donate their time at affiliated service projects held twice yearly. The school offers Unified flag football at the league/conference level each fall, Unified ski/snowboard on a smaller scale, Unified basketball at the league/conference level in the winter, and is looking to add Unified track & field at the league/conference level this spring.
Make no mistake; athletes of all kinds like to compete.
“My kids are learning the game like they never did before. The partners don’t dumb down the vocabulary or slow down what they teach. This occurs in real-time scrimmaging with a need to adjust quickly,” said Wyman. “So our Unified athletes are being coached and challenged to increase their skill and conditioning at a level I just can’t replicate in my Special Olympics Physical Education class where no partners are present.”
One also cannot replicate the related successes outside the gyms and away from the fields, where Wyman reports that I.D. students are now being offered rides to school for dances and athletic events, improving their grades to be eligible to participate in the program and becoming healthier through the activities, all while gaining confidence in themselves.
Renicker believes that seeing is believing, and encourages people to attend events in neighboring communities. The impression will likely spur action.
“My No. 1 suggestion would be to come and witness how special a Unified Game is,” Renicker said. “It will give you hope for our future and highlight some pretty amazing things that are going on in schools every day that don't make the front page of the newspaper. I feel so lucky to be part of a school community that values this program and the culture it has created.”
Hileman recently attended a national Special Olympics event and heard International Chairman of Special Olympics Dr. Timothy Shriver proclaim his dream: that just as every high school sponsors boys and girls athletic programs, he hopes that one day every high school in the country will become a Unified Champion School.
It is a big dream, but the slightest nudge can put things in motion, as Wyman has seen.
“It can start small. You only need one or two partners to commit and you can get something going,” Wyman said. “A lot of kids would love to help in supporting roles, whether it’s running sporting events, officiating, keeping stats, designing, or organizing. In the beginning, it is one person reaching out to one school seeing if they can get together and play the game.”
With that, the guidance of Special Olympics, and assistance from partners like the MHSAA, maybe the ball can keep rolling all the way around the state.
***
Inclusion is Primary Mission of Special Olympics UCS
Team sports bring people together. Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams do that, too, and much more.
About 1.4 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a really fun way. ESPN has served as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports since 2013, supporting the growth and expansion of this program that empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.
Promoting Social Inclusion Through Sport
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.
States Embracing Unified Sports
Young people with disabilities do not often get a chance to play on their school sports teams. More and more states are adopting the Unified Sports approach that Special Olympics pioneered.
Unified Sports is also an integral part of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, which was founded in 2008 and funded through the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education to use Special Olympics as a way to build inclusion and tolerance in schools. Unified Sports are now in more than 4,500 elementary, middle and high schools in the United States. Seventy percent of Unified Champion Schools (Pre-K through Grade 12) are engaging in Unified Sports! Also 215 U.S. colleges and universities have Special Olympics College Clubs on campus, providing ongoing Unified and inclusionary activities for students and Special Olympics athletes. Seventy-three of the 215 U.S. colleges and universities activating Special Olympics College conduct ongoing Unified Sports on their campuses. Learn how to get involved at www.playunified.org.
Mission: Inclusion
As part of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International “Mission: Inclusion” partnership, the LCI youth network-Leos have become a strong global partner in expanding and implementing Unified Sports together with Special Olympics. The Leos have helped start and sustain Unified Sports in a number of nations worldwide, and serve as one of the movement’s strongest youth leadership networks in bringing inclusive programming to communities across the world. From Zimbabwe to Brazil and from California to India, the Leos continue to amplify the voice of athletes and embody the creed: Play Unified. Live Unified.
Major sports organization, league and event support to Play Unified
Many high-profile, professional sports organizations and events have also showcased Unified Sports as a vehicle to show the power of inclusive sports! This support includes:
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Major League Soccer (MLS)
• Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association, D-III
• ESPN's X Games Aspen
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
• National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)
PHOTOS: (Top) Unified teams from Brighton and Mason/Holt play during the second day of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field. (Top middle) Participants from those three schools and Sparta took part in the morning's games. (Middle) Sparta athletes stand together for the national anthem. (Below middle) A Brighton coach and players exchange high fives. (Below) Brighton's Unified basketball team plays during a celebration for receiving national recognition last fall. (Photos by John Johnson.)
Preview: New Home, New Schedule, Newcomers, Reigning Champions Headline Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 1, 2023
There is plenty of new heading into this weekend’s MHSAA Competitive Cheer Finals – and some more could spring up before Friday’s last championship meet is complete.
The two-day event has a new home – McGuirk Arena at Central Michigan University – and a new schedule with two Finals on Thursday and two on Friday, at 1 and 6 p.m. both days. A series of first-time qualifiers also help fill the field.
Four teams have had a hold on their respective divisions the last few years, as Richmond in Division 3 is seeking its fifth-straight championship and Rochester Adams in Division 1, Allen Park in Division 2 and Hudson in Division 4 all are competing for fourth-consecutive titles. A new champion or more would surely be among headliners during a busy Finals weekend across three sports.
The full schedule, plus information on purchasing tickets and how to watch online are all available on the Competitive Cheer page of MHSAA.com.
Division 1
BRIGHTON
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association
Coach: Christina Wilson, 10th season
Championship history: Class A runner-up 1999.
Top score: 787.74 at District.
Team composition: 27 total (four seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores, 10 freshmen).
Outlook: After ending last season fifth at its Regional, Brighton is headed back to the Finals. The Bulldogs finished second at both their District and Regional and have broken 785 points four times this season – including at those two postseason events and the KLAA championship meet. Senior Natalie Rodgers led four returnees who earned all-District recognition in 2022.
GRANDVILLE
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Julie Smith-Boyd, 42nd season
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), 10 runner-up finishes.
Top score: 790.28.
Team composition: 30 total (two seniors, 17 juniors, four sophomores, seven freshmen).
Outlook: After finishing runner-up in 2021, Grandville placed seventh a year ago and will look to jump back into contention with scores of at least 782 in six of their last seven events. Juniors Brie Vanderplow, Lexsee Pawloski, Jodi O’Dell and Avery Polinskey all earned all-Regional honors last season.
HARTLAND
League finish: First in KLAA
Coach: Candace Fahr, sixth season
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2013.
Top score: 789.98
Team composition: 27 total (seven seniors, 11 juniors, seven sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: Hartland returned to the Finals last season after a year away with a fourth-place finish, and the Eagles are primed to contend coming off District and Regional championships and three straight overall scores of 787 or higher. They’ve won seven of 10 competitions this season. Senior Ashley Kretz and junior Molly Woolf made the all-state first team last year, while juniors Grace DeYoung and Samantha Mollard made the second team and juniors Kaylee Balagna and Aspen Smith earned honorable mentions.
MACOMB L’ANSE CREUSE NORTH
League finish: Second in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Lauren Turner, second season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 791.70 at District.
Team composition: 24 total (five seniors, 10 juniors, six sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: The Crusaders have strung together their four best total scores over their last five competitions and followed up their District championship with a fourth-place Regional finish after the three Rochester-area teams posted the top three scores at either Division 1 meet last weekend. Juniors Ina Harding and Hannah Waters were among top returnees after making the all-District first and second teams, respectively, last season.
MILFORD
League finish: First in Lakes Valley Conference
Coach: Patti Warzecha, 12th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 777.94
Team composition: 23 total (three seniors, nine juniors, eight sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Milford reached Regionals for the fourth-straight season and took the next step in making the Finals for the first time. The Mavericks have topped 772 points in five of their last six competitions and 777 three times. Senior Leah Fitzgerald made the all-District first team last year, and sophomores Emme Dreffs and Kenleigh Bailey made the second team.
ROCHESTER
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Samantha Koehler, first season
Championship history: 14 MHSAA titles (most recent 2017).
Top score: 793.16
Team composition: 26 total (nine seniors, four juniors, 10 sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Koehler, who formerly led a strong program at Plymouth from 2016-22, took over this one from Susan Wood – who had led Rochester to all 14 of its championships dating back to the first year of Finals in 1994. Koehler has watched the Falcons score 790 or higher their last three competitions and finish first or second in all of them this winter. After missing the Finals in 2021, Rochester returned with a fifth-place finish last year. Senior Martina Dedvukaj earned an all-state honorable mention.
ROCHESTER ADAMS
League finish: Second in OAA Red
Coach: Brooke Miller, ninth season
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2022), three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 794.16
Team composition: 28 total (12 seniors, eight juniors, four sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Adams has won three straight Division 1 championships and strung together five straight seasons finishing among the Finals top two. The Highlanders have won their last four competitions this winter and topped 791 points in their last three including District and Regional wins. Seniors Katie Burgin, Alex Ris and Ashley Rosati are returning all-state second-team selections, and seniors Emma Maynard and Peyton Regalado earned honorable mentions in 2022.
ROCHESTER HILLS STONEY CREEK
League finish: Third in OAA Red
Coach: Tricia Williams, 20th season
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), Division 1 runner-up 2022.
Top score: 792.76 at Regional.
Team composition: 26 total (four seniors, 12 juniors, six sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Stoney Creek is coming off missing the championship last season by just more than 2.3 points, and finished third at least week’s Regional but just 42 hundredths of a point off tying the highest score in Division 1 for the weekend. That 792.76 was the second time the team had broken 790 this season and its third time above 789. Juniors Kacey Bauer and Abigail DeGraw made the all-state second team last season, and junior Alison Kalaj earned an honorable mention.
Division 2
ALLEN PARK
League finish: Second in Downriver League
Coach: Julie Goodwin, 17th season
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2022), four runner-up finishes.
Top score: 795.42.
Team composition: 27 total (11 seniors, 11 juniors, three sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: The Jaguars have finished first or second in Division 2 the last seven seasons, claiming the last three titles. After finishing second at the Downriver League championship competition, Allen Park has responded with three of its top four scores this season, including also a 794.98 to win its District and 789.40 to win its Regional. Seniors Kristina Beste, Alyssa Rios and Madisyn Setser made the all-state first team last season, while seniors Aleia Breckenridge and Emma Buffa made the second team and seniors Madison Buchanan and Emma Williams earned honorable mentions.
BAY CITY WESTERN
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: August Jaynes, fifth season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 776.36 at Regional.
Team composition: 19 total (seven seniors, three sophomores, nine freshmen).
Outlook: Western has finished first or second at its last nine competitions and won both its District and Regional, with that 776.36 five points higher than its previous best for this winter. Both championships were program firsts, and this will be the Warriors’ first trip to the Finals. Senior Bella Glumm was named SVL MVP this season, and with senior teammates Gabbie Goulette, Ambria Nagel, Shea Walli and Allison Kaczmarczyk was among first and second-team all-District honorees in 2022.
DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Bishop
Co-coaches: Amber Genevich, 18th season; Shelley McClorey, sixth season
Championship history: Four Finals runner-up finishes (most recent 2014).
Top score: 789.34 at District.
Team composition: 19 total (two seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Divine Child returned to the Finals last season after two away and finished fourth, a solid springboard as they look to jump into contention this weekend with that District score one of three times the Falcons have broken 784 this winter. Seniors Abby Krizmanich and Elena Solomon both earned all-state honorable mentions last season.
GIBRALTAR CARLSON
League finish: First in Downriver League
Coach: Alyssa Tocco, second season
Championship history: 11 MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), seven runner-up finishes.
Top score: 793.98.
Team composition: 27 total (nine seniors, three juniors, five sophomores, 10 freshmen).
Outlook: Carlson finished runner-up last season, the second time over the last three. The Marauders return to the Finals this weekend after placing just ahead of Allen Park in the league and winning their District, but finishing two hundredths of a point behind the Jaguars at the Regional. Carlson has gone over 781 points its last six competitions and 788 four of those six including the Regional (789.38). Senior Kaitlyn Demers is a returning all-state first teamer, while seniors Tiaira Michalik, Ellen Szucs and Emilee Bain made the second team last season and senior Ciana Caliguire and junior Mya Oikarinen earned honorable mentions.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN
League finish: First in O-K White
Coach: Carly Sienkiewicz, sixth season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 771.50.
Team composition: 18 total (seven seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: Forest Hills Northern returned to the Finals last season for the first time since 1998, and placed sixth, and the Huskies are returning after jumping 16 points from a third-place District finish to qualify fourth at their Regional. They entered the postseason with two straight scores of 770 or higher and cleared the Regional cut line by almost eight points. FHN is among teams with valuable experience heading into this weekend, as all three of last year’s all-state honorees are back – seniors Julie Fiser (first team), Alexis Linder (second team) and Jennessa Byl (honorable mention).
MASON
League finish: Tied for first in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Coach: Angela Boerkoel, 11th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 765.82.
Team composition: 20 total (six seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: The Bulldogs are back after missing the Finals last season and nearly equaled their high score getting here with a 765.78 to place third at their Regional. It’s been another nice jump after the team fell one spot shy of making Regionals in 2022. Boerkoel, who formerly coached Brighton, has led Mason to three league titles and now two Finals appearances over the past three seasons, and her team finished third or better at all of its competitions this winter. Senior Eleana Young made the all-District second team last season.
MIDDLEVILLE THORNAPPLE KELLOGG
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Coach: Adrian Nichols, third season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 772.64 at Regional.
Team composition: 15 total (three seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, six freshmen).
Outlook: The Trojans are returning to the Finals for the first time since 2015. They made a magnificent jump at their Regional, with the 772.64 nearly 14 points higher than their previous high total score this season. MTK was second at the Regional after winning the District, and has won 10 competitions total and finished second in its other three. Juniors Mali Holland, Ava Jahnke and Kenady Smith all made the all-District second team last year.
SOUTH LYON EAST
League finish: Second in LVC
Coach: Julia Tilt, fourth season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 780.06.
Team composition: 20 total (five seniors, five juniors, six sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: South Lyon East has made an incredible climb under Tilt to reach the Finals for the first time – from not qualifying for Regionals in 2020, to placing seventh at Regionals in 2021 and fifth last year and now advancing with a fourth-place finish. After finishing second at their District two weeks ago, the Cougars were nearly 27 points better at the Regional with a 769.18 and have gone 771 or higher five times. Senior Cassie Ryan made the all-Regional second team last season, and senior Hannah Westlund and junior Natalie Tilt earned honorable mentions.
Division 3
CROSWELL-LEXINGTON
League finish: Second in Blue Water Area Conference
Coach: Katie Tomlinson, eighth season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 783.38 at District.
Team composition: 28 total (eight seniors, six juniors, 12 sophomores, two freshmen).
Outlook: Croswell-Lexington has finished fourth, fifth and fourth the last three seasons and last year scored within nine points of the lead. The Pioneers could push even higher this time. They finished second to four-time reigning Division 3 champion Richmond in the BWAC this winter, then second at their District to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep by fewer than three points and third at their Regional to those two powers but less than six points off the lead. Junior Shelby Oliver made the all-state second team last season, and junior Cora Katulski earned honorable mention.
GROSSE ILE
League finish: Second in Huron League
Coach: Angela Raithel, sixth season
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2010), Division 3 runner-up 2009.
Top score: 768.92 at Regional.
Team composition: 17 total (one senior, six juniors, seven sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Grosse Ile has earned its first Finals trip since 2014, climbing from third at its District to fourth at its Regional to qualify. Raithel has been building toward this moment, with the Red Devils also claiming District titles the last two seasons and just missing out on the Finals with a fifth place at their Regional last year. Lone senior Amanda Hancock made the all-Regional first team last season, while junior Sienna Ross made the second team and sophomores Marissa Trombley and Virginia West earned honorable mentions.
HOWARD CITY TRI COUNTY
League finish: First in Central State Activities Association
Coach: Jennifer Laskey, 16th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 757.38.
Team composition: 24 total (five seniors, five juniors, 11 sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Tri County returned to the Finals last season after two years away, and is making a repeat trip with a top score this time 10 points higher than a year ago. That jump also has included a District title and runner-up finish at its Regional, and eight competition wins overall. Senior Madalynn Laskey is a returning all-state first-team selection, and senior MaLeea Neely earned honorable mention last season.
LAKE ODESSA LAKEWOOD
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference
Coach: Kim Martin, 31st season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 766.81
Team composition: 20 total (four seniors, seven juniors, eight sophomores, one freshman).
Outlook: Lakewood is making its second-straight Finals appearance and seventh over the last 11 seasons, and placed seventh a year ago. The Vikings have won six competitions and placed second at two others including the District before finishing fourth at their Regional. Lakewood also has won 14 straight league titles. Senior Emily Root made the all-Regional second team last season.
PAW PAW
League finish: First in Wolverine Conference
Coach: Stefanie Miller, 14th season
Championship history: Division 3 runner-up 2022 and 2021.
Top score: 768.86 at Regional.
Team composition: 16 total (two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores, seven freshmen).
Outlook: Paw Paw has finished a point or less behind champion Richmond the last two seasons and returns to the Finals with District and Regional titles and victories in all but one competition overall this season. While nine seniors topped last year’s lineup, this one has experience too but just among younger athletes. Junior Molly Goodwin made the all-state first team last season, while juniors Naveh Davenport and Maya Leonard and sophomore Ashley Olsen made the second team and junior Madison Lasinski earned an honorable mention.
PORTLAND
League finish: First in CAAC White
Coach: Mindy Blaschka, 10th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 764.34.
Team composition: 22 total (four seniors, 10 juniors, four sophomores, four freshmen).
Outlook: A younger team that finished sixth last year in its first Finals trip now has that experience and a large junior class as it returns coming off league and District titles and a third place at its Regional. The Raiders have broken 753 three times over their last six competitions. Senior Lily Buckland earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and juniors Abigail Rice and Autumn Schafer were second-team all-Regional selections.
PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Coach: Beth Lockhart, 11th season
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), three runner-up finishes.
Top score: 786.08 at District.
Team composition: 17 total (three seniors, three juniors, six sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: The Fighting Irish last finished runner-up in 2020 and placed third the last two seasons, just a half-point off the lead a year ago. They should be in the mix again with wins in all of their competitions except one, a runner-up finish at the Rochester Adams Invitational. The District and Regional titles came against fields including reigning champion Richmond. Junior Alaina Byrne and sophomore Haleigh Campbell earned all-state honorable mentions last season and were joined by senior Ashley Quinn and sophomore Grace Kincade in also receiving all-Regional recognition.
RICHMOND
League finish: First in BWAC
Coach: Kelli Matthes, 15th season
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2022), five runner-up finishes.
Top score: 783.74
Team composition: 25 total (seven seniors, three juniors, eight sophomores, seven freshmen).
Outlook: Richmond has finished among the top two in Division 3 eight straight seasons and won the last four titles, but faces an interesting challenge after finishing third at its District and second at its Regional with NDP winning both. Still, the Blue Devils have topped 781 twice and 777 two more times, and bring back plenty of standouts with championship experience. Juniors Annabell Loftis and Ana Moskwa and sophomore Faith Thompson made the all-state first team last season, while senior Nicole Ostaszewski, junior Alyssa DeBlouw and sophomore Camryn Moore made the second team.
Division 4
ADRIAN MADISON
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Coach: Sarah Kope, fourth season
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2022.
Top score: 731.52 at District.
Team composition: 14 total (four seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Madison is back after its history-making finish a year ago and with a top score 10 points higher than at this point last season. The Regional third place was the team’s first finish outside of the top two this season. Sophomore Mya Solis made the all-state first team last winter, while seniors Abby Griewahn, Danielle Vallejo and Kaylee Paulette made the second team and junior Delaney Dopp earned honorable mention.
HART
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference
Co-coaches: Jennifer Hlady, 12th season; Ashleigh Andritsis, first season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 752.84.
Team composition: Seven total (three seniors, two juniors, two sophomores).
Outlook: Hart missed the Finals last season while competing in Division 3 after finishing eighth in Division 4 in 2021, and has been unstoppable so far this winter with victories in all 14 competitions including by 36 points at the District and 23 at the Regional. The 744.93 at that District was the team’s second-highest total score. Sophomore LexieBeth Nienhuis made the all-Regional second team last season, and junior Jasmyne Villanueva earned an honorable mention.
HUDSON
League finish: First in Lenawee County Athletic Association
Coach: Kelly Bailey, 26th season
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2022), six runner-up finishes.
Top score: 774.94
Team composition: 19 total (seven seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores, three freshmen).
Outlook: Hudson has finished first or second in Division 4 the last six seasons and won three straight titles, and last year’s 50-point Finals win could be a sign of what’s to come this weekend as well. The Tigers also are undefeated this winter with an average total score of 750.42 and scores above that in seven-straight competitions before posting a 740.38 to win the Regional. Seniors Cheyenne Eichler and Annalyse Ames and juniors Rylie Bloomer and Victoria Hawkins made the all-state first team last season, while seniors Ellie Bean, Shantzee Henderson and Isabella Moreno made the second team and junior Paige Clark earned an honorable mention.
LAWTON
League finish: First in Southwestern Athletic Conference
Coach: Holly James, 10th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 738.08.
Team composition: 13 total (four seniors, four juniors, one sophomore, four freshmen).
Outlook: Lawton has won 10 competitions this season including its District after the team improved from seventh in 2021 to third at last year’s Final. Its top score is nearly 30 points higher than when entering championship weekend a year ago. The Blue Devils are another team with plenty of returning star power, with seniors Rylee Oxley and Mikayla Reynolds and junior Kiera Banks returning all-state first teamers, senior Casandra Salgado and sophomore Amanda Aumaugher back from the second team and senior Samantha Gorenchan and junior Amanda Aumaugher having earned honorable mentions in 2022.
MASON COUNTY CENTRAL
League finish: Second in West Michigan Conference
Coach: Cheri Stibitz, 14th season
Championship history: Seeking first top-two Finals finish.
Top score: 731.56.
Team composition: 12 total (seven seniors, two juniors, one sophomore, two freshmen).
Outlook: MCC is headed to the Finals for the second-straight season after qualifying last year for the first time. The Spartans have finished first, second or third at all of their competitions, even stronger considering five were league meets that included undefeated Hart, as did the Regional. They also reached 731.22 in finishing runner-up at their District. Senior Geralyn Soberalski made the all-state first team last season, junior Emily Adams made the second and junior Marissa Quillan earned honorable mention.
MERRILL
League finish: Second in Mid-State Activities Conference
Coach: Jena Glazier, third season
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2014.
Top score: 717.50.
Team composition: 10 total (two seniors, six juniors, one sophomore, one freshman).
Outlook: The Vandals are returning to the Finals for the first time since 2018, with their six best total scores coming over their last seven competitions. Merrill made the jump after falling a place shy of reaching the Regional last season. Senior Brooke Breasbois made the all-District first team last season, and juniors Veda Gagne and Samantha Grubaugh made the second.
MICHIGAN CENTER
League finish: First in Cascades Conference
Co-coaches: Jessica Trefry, 22nd season; Bree Cash, first season
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), one runner-up finish.
Top score: 745.94 at District.
Team composition: 14 total (two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores, five freshmen).
Outlook: Michigan Center is making its first Finals appearance since 2019 and appears set to join the elite with four of their last seven scores 730 or higher and two 742 or better. The Cardinals finished second at their Regional to Hudson after winning their District with that season-high score. They just missed reaching Regionals in Division 3 last season, when junior Kate Paterson and sophomore Emma McIntyre made the all-District second team.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
League finish: Second in GLAC
Coach: Staci Myers, 16th season
Championship history: Nine MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), 12 runner-up finishes.
Top score: 722.6.
Team composition: 13 total (two seniors, one junior, five sophomores, five freshmen)
Outlook: The Pirates are bringing another young team to the Finals after finishing sixth a year ago, but they are coming off runner-up finishes at their District and Regional and also finished second to Lakewood in the GLAC after joining the league for cheer this season. There’s a good deal of experience; senior Emma Flanigan made the all-state second team last season, and she was joined by senior Emily Schmitt, junior Sophia Simon and sophomores Miriam Downes and Jayde Ferguson in earning all-Regional recognition.
PHOTO Grosse Ile will be making its first MHSAA Finals appearance in competitive cheer this weekend since 2014. (Photo by Terry Jacoby.)