COMPETITIVE CHEER: Rochester wins fifth straight district title
Stoney Creek, Adams, Eisenhower also advance to regional round
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
TROY — Saturday’s performance was far from expectations for Rochester’s competitive cheer team.
But for the Falcons, on a day where all teams struggled in the third round, it was more than enough.
Rochester captured its fifth straight Division 1district title at Troy Athens, collecting 772.62 points to topple the 14-school field.
The Falcons, who have now won competitions on four straight weekends and six total competitions this season in nine outings, have reached the state finals in 30 of the past 31 seasons and need a top four finish at the regional competition next weekend to again make the cut.
“We have won the districts each year the MHSAA has had the district round,” noted Rochester coach Susan Wood. “We have not won a regional since 2009. The past couple of years it has been rough. Two years ago we didn’t make the state finals for the first time in my career and last year we made it back but didn’t have a great day at the state finals. We won today but this wasn’t our best day. We had a stumble in Round III but we still scored well enough to win the district. We can do better.
“I know we have to have a better performance next weekend to make it out (of the regional). We can’t afford to have a (sub-par) performance next weekend. Nobody can,” added Wood.
Rochester Stoney Creek finished second with 751.42 points, while Rochester Adams (749.66) and Utica Eisenhower (734.80) finished in the next two slots and also qualified for next the regional competition Feb.23, also at Troy Athens.
Troy Athens claimed fifth (716.62), while Troy (710.02), Waterford Mott (700.54), West Bloomfield (686.02), Utica (628.26), Waterford Kettering (611.24), Royal Oak (598.98), Warren Mott (569.96), Oak Park (550.6) and Birmingham Seaholm (531.6) rounded out the field.
Stoney Creek coach Tricia Williams, whose team won a state title in 2010, the Cougars have been consistent all season but far from the highest level.
“We have competed well all season, but we are far from where we need to be. We don’t want next weekend to be our last competition. We’re going to have to find a way to improve our routines and have a better showing,” said Williams. “Right now, it’s really about surviving. With the teams coming to the regional next weekend, you can’t have big mistakes. Southgate Anderson will be here and I think Macomb Dakota has done a really nice job this season. And (Sterling Heights) Stevenson is usually strong. You have to have your best showing at the regional to make it. Today at the district, we did enough to advance. But for all of us, you can’t have mistakes if you want to qualify (for state).”
Stoney Creek took the first round by a narrow margin, holding a 233.8 total to Rochester’s 233.0. Adams (227.6), Athens (225.5) and Eisenhower (222.8) rounded out the top five in the first round.
Rochester grabbed the lead after the second round, thanks to its 227.92 total in Round II. Stoney Creek registered 226.02 points in the second round, with Adams (224.66), Eisenhower (216.30) and Athens (199.92).
Rochester, despite a stumble in the third round, use its degree of difficulty to pull away in Round II thanks to a monster 311.7 total. Eisenhower was a distant second in the round (295.7), with Troy (294.4), Stoney Creek (291.6) and Athens (291.5) rounding out the third round top-five.
Adams reached the regional round last season, but finished sixth at the regional and did not make the state field last March.
“Last year we had a good year, but we didn’t make it to the state finals,” said Adams coach Courtney Abela. “I think we were sixth at the regional and there were 7-8 really good teams at the regional. We did a good job today making it through. But you never know what can happen. I think we will need to be even better next weekend to have a chance.”
Troy Athens was the first team left on the outside looking in, but by no means was the Red Hawks’ performance disappointing, according to coach Stephanie Brodsky.
“Last year we were middle of the pack. This year we finished fifth, which is a major improvement,” said Brodsky. “We have 23 girls on the team and only two seniors, so next season we really hope to bring it.”
DIVISION 1 DISTRICT
(Feb. 16 at Troy Athens H.S.)
TEAM SCORES — 1. Rochester, 772.62; 2. Rochester Stoney Creek, 751.42; 3. Rochester Adams, 749.66; 4. Utica Eisenhower, 734.80; 5. Troy Athens, 716.62; 6.Troy, 710.02; 7.Waterford Mott, 700.54; 8. West Bloomfield, 686.02; 9. Utica, 628.26; 10. Waterford Kettering, 611.24; 11. Royal Oak, 598.98; 12. Warren Mott, 569.96; 13. Oak Park, 550.6; 14. Birmingham Seaholm, 531.6.
ROUND SCORES
ROUND I — 1. Rochester Stoney Creek, 233.8; 2. Rochester, 233.0; 3. Rochester Adams, 227.6; 4. Troy Athens, 225.5; 5. Utica Eisenhower, 222.8; 6. Troy, 217.6; 7. Waterford Mott, 211.6; 8. Waterford Kettering, 211.3; 9. West Bloomfield, 210.7; 10. Utica, 203.3; 11. Oak Park, 199.7; 12. Warren Mott, 192.8; 13. Royal Oak, 189.9; 14. Birmingham Seaholm, 183.2;
ROUND II — 1. Rochester, 227.92; 2. Rochester Stoney Creek, 226.02; 3. Rochester Adams, 224.66; 4. Utica Eisenhower, 216.30; 5. Troy Athens, 199.92; 6. Waterford Mott, 199.54; 7. Troy, 198.02; 8. West Bloomfield, 194.62; 9. Warren Mott, 192.8; 10. Waterford Kettering, 182.54; 11. Utica, 169.26; 12. Royal Oak, 161.28; 13. Oak Park, 135.3; 14. Birmingham Seaholm, 120.10.
ROUND III — 1. Rochester, 311.7; 2. Utica Eisenhower, 295.7; 3. Troy, 294.4; 4. Rochester Stoney Creek, 291.6; 5. Troy Athens, 291.5; 6. Rochester Adams, 297.4; 7. Waterford Mott, 289.4; 8. West Bloomfield, 280.7; 9. Utica, 255.7; 10. Royal Oak, 247.8; 11. Birmingham Seaholm, 291.6; 12. Warren Mott, 228.8; 13. Waterford Kettering, 217.4; 14. Oak Park, 215.6.
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