By Dan Shriner
Review Editor
Lake Orion’s competitive cheer team has shown they are among the state’s best over the past 18 years, finishing fourth last year and fourth in five other seasons during that span.
Coach Nicole Hills hopes the lady Dragons can take another step to be the state’s best as the new season is about to begin
Lake Orion won district and regional championships last season and then lost in the finals to Grandville, after beating them in the regionals. Rochester finished second in the state followed by Stoney Creek and then Lake Orion.
The Dragons, Rochester and Stoney Creek all compete in the OAA Red Division, making it by far the most competitive league in the state. Lake Orion finished third in league competition.
The scores of the top four were very close in the state finals and easily separated those schools from other state finalists. There are three rounds in competitive cheer and each has different skills the girls are expected to master.
Competitive cheer is a judged sport, so to an untrained eye, there might not seem much of a difference between teams.
And in fact, Lake Orion’s fourth-place finish last season in the state championships with a score of 783.84 points, was less than three points out of first place.
But, this is a new season, and Hills said she and the team are excited.
‘We had a great year but this feels like a completely new team,? she said. ‘We have four seniors this year, three freshmen and the rest are sophomores and juniors. (On a roster of nearly 30 students)
‘They are very motivated to be the best,? Hills said. ‘They are talented and want to prove themselves. They really strive for perfection and work very hard.?
In addition to competing against Rochester and Stoney Creek in the OAA Red, Hills said that Clarkston seems to be an up and coming team. ‘They have a lot of potential,? she said.
The four seniors on the team have each been on the varsity for two years, while some of the juniors have three years of experience and two of the sophomores have two years of experience on the varsity.
Juniors Sydney Johnson and Olivia Duffy will compete in all three rounds as will senior co-captain Destiny Roper.
Seniors Morgan Duerden and Jennifer Cosens are the other co-captains.
Hills said the team also will rely on sophomores Makalya Smirnow, Jessica Rock and Brooklyn Smart, who all were on the varsity last season.
‘We are really excited to have so much young talent on this team. I’m coaching at a great school with great athletes. We are really blessed.?