MUSKEGON TWP. - On the surface, taking third place in a six-team conference tournament is nothing to write home about.
But for the Reeths-Puffer competitive cheerleading squad, it was a strong sign of good progress.
The Rockets hosted the second O-K Green Conference Jamboree on Wednesday at R-P's Dan Beckeman Arena.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
They finished third with 740.26 points, behind first-place Jenison (774.96) and second-place Byron Center (767.64).
The fact that Jenison and Byron Center took the first two spots surprised nobody. Those two teams are perennial powerhouses and typically dominate the competition.
The Rockets, who finished fourth in the conference last year, are thrilled that they have finished third in the first two jamborees this season, because it shows they are moving up the scale in a very tough conference where the standards are very high.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
It also means R-P might again have the type of team that could soar in the postseason and qualify for the Division 2 state finals, like it has for three of the past four seasons.
The Rockets finished eighth in the state last season.
The really impressive part is that the Rockets lost four very important team members over the course of the season, and less experienced girls have had to step into key roles – but the team just keeps improving, anyway.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
”It’s stunning to be right behind two powerhouse programs,” said R-P head coach Lisabeth Smith, whose team still has to compete in one more conference jamboree. “It’s a humbling and beautiful process. These girls are really self-motivated, and that makes a big difference.
“We had four major players who are no longer with us, but through hard work and dedication, the girls are still making it happen. We lost some incredible athletes, but the rest of the girls have done really well.”
The Rockets did have a local victory of sorts, outdistancing rival Mona Shores in the battle for third place in the meet.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P snuck past the fourth-place Sailors 740.26-737.22, but it was a battle all the way.
Mona Shores had the early advantage, outscoring the Rockets 225.2-222.5 in the first round of competition (precision). R-P pulled ahead of the Sailors with a big 217.8-204.3 advantage in the second round (overall skills).
It all came down to the third and final round (stunts), where the Rockets experienced a few problems and lost some potential points. Mona Shores scored 307.7 in the final round while R-P scored 299.9, but the Rockets still had just enough to outdistance the Sailors.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P also finished ahead of rival Muskegon, which took fifth place.
“I honor Mona Shores because they keep us on our toes,” Smith said. “We play hard because they play hard.”
While the Rockets were happy with the third-place finish, and are always pleased when they beat rivals, in a lot of ways competitive cheer is really about the team vs. the team.
Photo/Jeremy Clark
It’s a process of improving and perfecting performance in each round, from one event to the next, regardless of how other teams do, according to Coach Smith. The Rockets are trending upward in that respect, with the goal of being at their best by the time the state tournament rolls around.
"We’re at 740 right now, and we need to be about 10 points better to be comfortable.” the coach said. “We really want to be in the 760s.”
The R-P cheer team is comprised of Alyssa Alexander, Madilyn Alvarado, Ha’nna Alviar, Khloe Doom, Addison Eek, Carly Ferrier, Alexandra Franklin, Ashlyn Frazine, Rayah Gardner, Taryn Gill, Kyleigh Hayford, Evalyn Hissong, Kylie Holmes, Eriyan Leek, Malia McGuffey,.Kara Plouhar, Adisyn Rowe, Macy Rudholm, Madilynn Smith, Amani Starr, Tara Tokarczyk and Lydia Tufts.
The Rockets will compete in the final O-K Green Jamboree at Jenison on Feb. 4, the GMAA Tournament on Feb. 9, and a few other events before districts, the first step of the state tournament, roll around on Feb. 20.