Stoney Creek Headed to State Cheer Finals

The cheerleaders from , the reigning state championship team, are one step closer today to a repeat.

The Cougars finished second at Saturday's regional meet in Lake Orion, which advances them to Friday's state finals in Grand Rapids.

"I honestly could not be more proud of our team," said Stoney Creek senior captain Jill Kelly. "We felt unstoppable. I knew we did our best; we got the highest scores we've ever had, and our goal now is to be the best."

But their team's caravan will be the only one from Rochester headed west that day. An 8-point penalty in the final round Saturday knocked district champion out of the competition.

The Falcons finished in fifth place, less than a point behind fourth-place finisher Sterling Heights Stevenson. finished in sixth place.

Only the top four teams advanced to the state meet.

"I thought we were great; I thought we were good enough to be in the top four," said Rochester coach Susan Wood. "I am very, very sad. But I am truly proud of them."

Rochester has been to the state finals every year since the competition started in 1994. The team holds the record for the most state titles — 12.

"We've never not gone," said Wood after the scores were announced. She shook her head slowly, her eyes filling up with tears as she spoke.

Minutes earlier, she stood behind her team as they sat in a circle on the gym floor mat, most of them crying — some of them shaking — while waiting for the results. 

Wood said she had told her team in the locker room after their third-round performance that they had received a penalty and that it likely would knock them out of the top four.

The penalty involved a double twist cradle, an aerial move, that was performed incorrectly. 

She saw it from the sideline while the girls were performing the routine; she talked to the judges about it afterward.

"I don't think that should be a reason for a team to not go to the state finals," Wood said. "I told them I didn't think it was bad enough for there to be a penalty."

They competed against 11 other schools at the regional meet. Lake Orion was the winner; Southgate Anderson finished third, and Sterling Heights Stevenson finished fourth.

Courtney Kezlarian, coach of Rochester Adams, said her team performed its personal best.

"We're happy with where we've come from and where we're going," Kezlarian said.