By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
MOUNT PLEASANT—Take a trip with me, if you will, back to 2003.
“Finding Nemo” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” were dominating at the box office. “In da Club,” the debut single from 50 Cent, was the top song. And the Plainwell competitive cheer team competed at the State Finals.
Following a 21-year hiatus, the Trojans returned to the State Finals on Saturday, March 2, as they competed in the Division 2 event at Central Michigan University.
Plainwell finished with 762.06 points, which put them in seventh place.
Allen Park won the state title with 793.34 points. Carleton Airport (779.92), Dearborn Devine Child (779.84), Gibraltar Carlson (778.1), Cedar Springs (769.08) and Middleville (769) followed in second-through-seventh place, respectively.
The Trojans amassed 229.7 points in the first round, tying Cedar Springs for sixth place. Round two saw Plainwell receive 223.76 points, putting them in seventh place at 453.46—just 14 hundredths of a point behind Middleville for sixth.
A 308.6 in the third and final round brought the Trojans’ score to its final of 762.06.
Prior to heading to the State Finals, Plainwell performed a run through of all three rounds for supporters on Thursday, Feb. 29. The 19 members of the team—which includes nine seniors—then signed autographs for the cheerleaders in middle and elementary school.