Cheerleaders enter off season on a high note
Lowell’s Competitive Cheer team broke a school record at the district meet.
Justin Scott - Sports Reporter
Every team in Lowell’s division but one will not end up as a state champion, so what better way to go out than on a high? A program record certainly qualifies, and Lowell’s program trajectory continues to be on the rise. There’s a palpable excitement in the air.
Lowell’s Competitive Cheerleading team finished sixth at this past weekend’s district meet held at Northview High School, breaking a school record for highest score in the process. Lowell scored a 704.0 in the highest finish at a district since 2019, which was a fifth place finish. It takes top four to advance, but there were no long faces in the Lowell circle.
“The sense of pride I felt leaving districts this year was remarkable. Being able to break the school record with the highest overall score at districts really shows that we left it all on the mat,” Coach Dayna Bosma, still affectionately known as “Coach Crum” by the team, told the Ledger, a Lowell cheerleading alumnus now in her ninth season with the team.
The Red Arrows overtook Kenowa Hills, who they lost to in the final conference meet at Lowell, as well as Forest Hills Eastern, Coopersville, Sparta, Allendale, Wyoming Lee, Spring Lake, Muskegon, and Forest Hills Central. The Red Arrows compete in division two for competitive cheer, dominated by teams from the east side including Gibraltar Carlson and Allen Park.
Top four advanced to regionals which were Cedar Springs, Northview, Forest Hills Northern, and Reeths-Puffer. Both Cedar Springs and Reeths-Puffer placed at the state finals last year. Fruitport finished in fifth above Lowell, but out of the top four. Lowell’s third round actually bested Fruitport. The Class of 2025 and 2026 have been a part of nearly very school record set. There are five seniors on the team this year; Bri Fullerton, Josie Hackett, Maya Schilling, Kaylynn VanAlstine, and Hope Worsley.
“This season was about reaching higher than ever before. We constantly encouraged and reminded each other that we had nothing to lose, and that we needed everyone to leave it all on the mat with no regrets,” said senior Josie Hackett.
Saturday was a big improvement for Lowell at the district level who finished ninth last year with a 662.52. Lowell’s round one was a 217.90, round two was a 191.30, and round three was a 294.80.
This year, Lowell had the second highest round one score in school history, 224.9. They ended with the highest round three in school history, 295.9, and this current team holds the top five highest round three scores in school history.
Academic All State honors for 2025 are still in progress, but in 2024, Lowell’s were Skylar Redumski, Fullerton, Rylee Foster, Rowin Keely, Maya Schilling, and Lannie Wester. Lowell was also HM academic all-state as a team last year with a 3.6 GPA. Redumski also earned a scholarship from the Competitive Cheer Coaches Association of Michigan last year as well.
“We are finally getting noticed for all our accomplishments, and people are wanting to learn more about our sport. We felt a lot of support from school staff, students, and the Lowell community,” added assistant coach Michele Schilling.
The Red Arrows became the first team of Coach Crum’s teams to get execution bonuses for round three. This happened at the last four competitions of the season. Lowell took 3rd in the River City Alliance.
“Even though we didn’t make it to regionals, I still feel like with what we put on the mat, we won,” senior VanAlstine concluded.
