The Reeths-Puffer competitive cheer squad is preparing to compete in Saturday’s Division 2 state finals after battling its way to a qualifying spot in regionals last weekend.
The top four teams at regionals qualified for the state finals, and the Rockets won their bid by finishing fourth in the 12-team event.
R-P had to battle Zeeland West and Mason for the fourth and final spot, because all three teams remained in close contention heading into the third and final round.
The Rockets edged out the other two teams and joined regional champion Cedar Springs, Thornapple Kellogg and Plainwell as state qualifiers.
Cedar Springs finished with 759.52 points, Thornapple Kellogg had 755.32, Plainwell finished with 755.43 while R-P totaled 729.18.
Reeths-Puffer will be making its fourth overall appearance in the state finals, and second in three years. The finals are scheduled for Saturday at Central Michigan University
“It’s exciting for the kids to advance to the top eight in the state within such a competitive division,” said R-P head coach Lisabeth Smith. “It’s an honor to make it through to the top level of competition. It’s such a surreal experience, especially for our juniors and seniors who experienced the finals two years ago.”
