The Reeths-Puffer competitive cheerleading team wrapped up another great season on Saturday by competing at the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant.
There were 78 Division 2 teams in Michigan this year, and only eight advanced to the state finals.
The Rockets finished in eighth place with a total score of 754.20. That was just little more than two points behind seventh-place Cedar Springs and a little less than six points behind sixth-place Zeeland West.
R-P had a 228.40 score in Round 1 (execution), 213.90 in Round 2 (overall skills) and 311.90 in Round 3 (stunts).
Leading the Rockets were seniors Lorena Garcia, Gabriella Borgeson and Addyson Smith, junior Madilynn Smith and sophomores Allison Clemens, Elaina Farber and Malia McGuffey.
Allen Park won the state championship with a score of 791.90.
Reeths-Puffer reached the finals by finishing fourth in regionals. The Rockets were in seventh place after Round 1 and sixth after Round 2, but used a strong final round to move into fourth place by just a half a point and secure a berth in the state finals.
R-P has now qualified for the state finals for two straight seasons, and three out of the last four.
"Regionals was a nail-biter, going against some strong and hungry teams," said R-P head coach Lisabeth Smith. "We focused on what was in front of us and stayed positive, determined, and fought incredibly hard to show off what we learned in the gym. "
Getting back to the state finals was a real accomplishment for the Rockets, who came into the season with a young roster that only included three seniors.
"We have a solid platform of athletes from each grade level who are passionate about their sport," Smith said. "They know how to determine our team and individual strengths, how to clean rounds, how to prepare for competition without burnout, and how to use our offseason. It is a collective, not just a few, who know how to excel in this very distinctive sport.
"They study their scoresheet, they learn about scoring biases and ways to maximize their time during practice, which is really where this sport is played. They are only on the floor for five minutes to demonstrate their skills, but the game itself is played in the gym."