The varsity competitive cheer team recently wrapped up their season with a second place finsh at the MAC White division championship.

Although the team fell to L’Anse Creuse North, it was only a mere 10 points that cost them the top spot. However, the team was still proud of their performance.

Their success at the MAC White competition sent them to the district competition, where they placed in seventh.

“Personally, it was the best I’ve ever done,” sophomore Gina Sapiano said. “The large audience made me do better.”

Between every competition, with all scores the team received averaged, they placed 23 out of 93 teams in the state.

“Although we did not get crowned MAC White Champions,” coach Angela Micinski said, “we still feel we had a very successful season. We broke several school records and raised the bar for the coming years. We are very proud of the 2017-2018 competitive cheer season.”

“I feel we performed to the best of our ability,” sophomore Danielle Monarch said. “I’m proud of us.”

To close out the season, the team received an honorable mention as an Academic All State team. This award recognizes teams that not only perform well athletically, but strive to achieve in the classroom. The varsity competitive cheer team had an average 3.603 GPA, all while working hard to be the best athletes at practice and in competition.

While at practice, the girls developed a new tradition this year – having “Mootica”, a stuffed cow, with them at competitions.

During a practice, a former cheerleader encouraged the girls to shout “MOO” to practice vocal exercises.

“The girls not only had a blast with this exercise,” coach Angela Micinski said, “they also learned the correct technique for saying words and we excelled with vocal scores this season. I went out and found ‘Mootica’ and at our next practice each athlete was given a tiny heart shaped button.”

Just like at Build-a-Bear Workshop, the girls gave their wishes for the season to the heart and stuffed it inside the doll.

“She attended every competition with us and the girls started a new tradition by ‘kissing the cow’ before each round,” Micinski said. “Mootica will continue on our cheer journey for the next several years and we will add new hopes and dreams to her at the beginning of each new season.”

Between new traditions and new records broken, many of the girls agreed that this season was a memorable one.

“The best part [of the season] was probably when we got first place at Royal Oak,” Gehrke said.

The cheerleaders are taking off their bows until sideline cheer begins in the fall.

“I hope to have these memories forever,” Monarch said, “I love this team.”