Ben Murphy
Sports Scene
Heritage capped off what first-year head coach Kyleigh Sepulveda called a perfect season at the class A state pompon finals on Feb. 8 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
The Hawks beat out 25 other teams that day to cap off a season that saw many invitational wins.
“I think this team is so successful because it consists of 21 brilliant, classy girls that all strive for one goal only, and that is to be the best they possibly can,” Sepulveda said. “They don’t go out to beat anyone else, we simply go there to best ourselves. We have come in fourth the last couple years, so the girls just really strived to get better… No matter if they were sick or hurt, they gave 100 percent.”
Filling out the Hawk’s championship roster are seniors Marissa Alfano, Haylee Bucholz, Shania Conley, Emma Sizelove, Kasey Kalandyk, Tabitha Frakes, Maddy Rodriguez, and Alyssa Marsh.
“Alfano is a very well-organized girl and a great performer; she was voted MVP (most valuable pommer),” Sepulveda said. “Bucholz is our squad butterfly that gets along with everyone. Conley is hilarious, but not only is she funny, she is quite the powerhouse, never gives up. Sizelove is very creative and artistic, loves pompon a lot, and is always dancing at practice. Kalandyk is one of my captains and is the epitome of pompon, this girl lives and breathes pompon 24-7.
“Frakes is one of my my captains, this girl is unstoppable, she has been injured most of the season due to her knee, but she never lets that stop her,” Sepulveda added. “Rodriguez is a great listener, loves pompon so much, and is a great worker. Marsh is such a sweetheart, and if she is told a comment, she tries to fix it immediately; she is very dedicated.”
Juniors on the team are Olivia Chapa, Alyson Feldotte, Maite Hardaway, Sydney Kubiak, Megan Lee, Allyson Leipert, Alyssa Martin, and Santana Romero.
“Chapa has a great smile and really pushes herself,” Sepulveda said. “Feldotte has a great head on her shoulders and has good leadership skills. Hardaway is a very quick learner, always strives to get better. Kubiak is a very sweet girl, works very hard, and has great showmanship.
“Lee is quite the squad clown but works hard,” Sepulveda added. “Leipert has battled a leg injury but always pushes herself through it and doesn’t let the pain get in her way. Martin truly loves pompon, has a great attitude, and works her butt off. Romero has some of the best head reflections, along with some great muscle.”
Sophomores on the team are Emma Dittmar, Paige Hammis, Jensen Kalandyk, Anna Newman, and Katarina Romero.
“Dittmar is the quietest girl I have ever met [and] was voted most improved,” Sepulveda said. “Hammis is definitely a hard-working girl, doesn’t let anything phase her, and just pushes herself 100 percent. Kalandyk, for only being a sophomore, has quite the muscle and has great power in all her jumps. Newman has to have one of the best smiles I have ever seen; she just makes you happy when you look at her performing and you can tell she loves what she does. Romero has beautiful kicks and great posture.”
Winning the state title isn’t a rare occurrence for the Hawk pompon team. It was the sixth time the squad has done so in school history, joining teams from 1989, 1997, 2002, 2003, and 2005 as state champions. If the coach has anything to say about it, Heritage will add another title sooner rather than later.
“I think we have a great pompon team because of Traci Hammis who, as my coach growing up, taught me on the foundation of working hard and staying classy while doing it,” Sepulveda said. “It also helps that we get extremely hard-working girls that are mentally and physically strong. They are taught tremendous amounts of time management to handle all the activities. Overall, it has been a joy to coach these 21 hardworking girls; they are the dream team.”