The competitive cheerleading team at Lake Orion High School is heading back to the state finals.
LO and Rochester were the two teams to advance from the Region 3A competition held at LOHS on March 4.
The team last went to the state finals in 2003, but a restructuring of the regionals after that season put the squad in the same region as perennial powerhouse Rochester and strong teams in Stoney Creek and Troy Athens.
Rochester has qualified each year, with Stoney Creek and Athens qualifying in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Coach Nancy DeAvila said Lake Orion felt it was their turn to move on to states.
‘It’s been a long term goal for us,? she said.
Rochester finished with a 717.1 total score. LO’s 692.8 edged Stoney Creek (683.6) and Athens (670.1).
‘There are 14 teams in our region and only the top two qualify,? DeAvila said. ‘After the first round we were ahead of both Stoney Creek and Athens. We were very comfortable with our position.?
The second of the three rounds was not as strong for the Dragons, as they finished behind Stoney Creek, but the team managed to hold on to second place overall by the slightest of margins (1.2 points).
‘We scored 300.5 points in the stunt round,? DeAvila said, noting that every team had their share of problems in the final round.
The team then had to wait for Stoney Creek to perform to see if they would advance.
DeAvila said it was a nerve-wracking time for her team, but ultimately Stoney Creek was unable to make up the difference, scoring just 292.5 in the final round.
‘It was great to do it on our home floor,? DeAvila said. ‘There were great fans from all of the teams and it was a really special day for us.?
The state finals will be held on March 11 at the Delta Plex in Grand Rapids. Class A action begins at 10 a.m.