FRUITPORT – Saqora Conklin never got the chance to be a varsity cheerleader and take part in competitive cheer.

She tried out for the squad as a junior at Fruitport High School, but did not make the cut.

For some girls, that would have been the end of cheerleading, but Conklin loved it too much to walk away.

So she started coaching youth cheerleading while she was still in high school, then moved up to coach at Fruitport Middle School in 2017.

Last year Conklin finally made the varsity, so to speak, when she was promoted to the position of varsity head coach.

She may not have had the chance to compete while she was in school, but she obviously knows how to coach.

Her first season leading the Trojans competitive cheer team went well. They finished third in the O-K Blue Conference and fifth at districts, one spot away from qualifying for regionals.

Most of the girls from that team returned this season, and now Conklin’s Fruitport squad is flying high.

The Trojans have competed in four tournaments so far this season and have finished in first place each time.

They opened the season with a top finish at the Wyoming Lee Invitational, then followed with titles at the Mona Shores Invitational and Comstock Park Invitational.

Last week the Trojans won the season’s first O-K Blue conference meet, edging past second-place Grand Rapids West Catholic 673.34-671.78.

While Fruitport expected to be pretty good this year, Conklin said the level of success so far is a pleasant surprise.

She said a big key has been her familiarity with the 26 girls on the team. She coached all of them at the middle school level, including three seniors she has coached since their youth days.

Conklin said she and the girls have moved up and gained knowledge and skill together, and now are enjoying the benefits.

“They’re the ones who are growing the program right now and helping me through everything,” Conklin said. “Along with them growing, I’ve been growing with them, so we’ve all been learning together.

“Learning about the competitive cheer world was huge for me – learning an aspect of cheer I didn’t already know. Seeing the excitement of the comp world and what you’re fighting for, what you’re pushing for, just understanding it’s a whole different world than cheering on the sideline.”

Several of the Trojan cheerleaders say the team has become unusually close, which has led to all the success.

“We’re a family, not a team,” junior Zoey Beatty said.

“I feel like throughout the years, our team did not have that aspect of being a family,” senior Zoe Grammar said. “But these past two years, I think we’ve accomplished that. Last year, we only had one senior who graduated, so it’s basically our same team plus a couple girls that got pulled up, and they’re all amazing. We definitely have that family aspect, which is why we’ve grown so much.”

Grammar says all of it is due to Conklin’s hard work and dedication.

“I love my coach, she’s my favorite person on the whole planet,” she said. “She’s absolutely amazing and she has made me grow so much throughout the six years I’ve known her.”

A state-ranked team

In competitive cheer, teams compete in front of judges in three different rounds.

Round 1 is based on execution, Round 2 is focused on overall skills and Round 3 is focused on stunts.

Up to 16 cheerleaders can compete in each round.

Fruitport has been excelling in all three rounds so far this season, as the Division 2 statewide rankings indicate. In Round 3, the Trojans are currently ranked 12th. In Round 1 they are ranked 19th, and in Round 2 they are ranked 20th.

Overall Fruitport is ranked 14th in the state.

The Trojans have been most successful in Round 1 and Round 3, and are working on improvement in Round 2.

One big key will be improving on tumbling for a better score in the second round. The team took a few years off from focusing on tumbling, but has recently started to reemphasize that skill in practice, according to Conklin.

“In Round 1, our motions are crisp, the girls have incredible vocals, and we’ve been working on our jumps every day – they’re getting good,” Conklin said. “We normally pull it together with our Round 3. It’s very solid and crisp.

“We have a very clean Round 2, but we still lack the tumbling to advance over other teams. Higher skills in Round 2 could help us score higher overall.”

Conklin credits the team’s senior class for leading this year’s group, asking good questions, paying attention to detail and showcasing a lot of drive.

She also said the entire team is full of girls who want to do as well as they possibly can.

“They’re just incredible,” Conklin said. “This is the best group of girls I’ve ever coached. They are so driven and so passionate about what they do, and you can just tell every day.”

Conklin mentioned several team members who have made significant contributions this season.

She said junior Jada Wright was out with a concussion last season, then suffered a broken hand this season, but has finally returned to compete in Round 1.

“She’s just been pushing to get back in, and we finally got her cleared and put her in, and she’s absolutely killed it,” Conklin said.

The coach also mentioned junior Raena Norbotten.

“She has grown with me my whole comp journey,” Conklin said “She’s such a hard worker. She has so much grit and determination. She thrives for this team and for this program.”

Conklin said Beatty has been crucial in Rounds 1 and 3.

“She is one who consistently is putting hard work in,” Conklin said. “She’s working for skills that most juniors don’t work for. She’s constantly asking, ‘Coach, what can I do better, what can I do in this round?’ Even behind-the-scenes stuff, she’s always helping out, asking where she can step in. She’s a very strong leader on this team.”

Conklin wanted to credit every single girl on the roster for their contribution to the team’s success. She said she knows they’ll continue to grow as they make progress toward their goals – a conference title and perhaps an eventual berth in the state finals.

“I tell them every day, ‘You are very capable of everything you want to do – You’ve just got to do it. It’s a mindset.’”

FRUITPORT COMPETITIVE CHEER ROSTER

Chloe Anderson – Freshman
Savanna Anderson – Senior
Tayler Anderson – Junior
Zoey Beatty – Junior
Adalyn Bedford – Sophomore
Isabella Castillo – Junior
Gracie Ferrell – Junior
Zoe Grammar – Senior
Dalani Knuppenburg – Junior
Chloee Kroening – Senior
Angela Lambert – Junior
Abigail LaPres – Sophomore
Isabelle Mingus – Sophomore
Raena Norbotten – Junior
Callie O’Neal – Sophomore
Madyson Prout – Sophomore
Evalyn Sinclair – Junior
Julia Smith – Junior
Ella Sparks – Sophomore
Allie Sullivan – Senior
Brynleigh Tenhove – Junior
Mackenzie Turpin – Senior
Eleanor VanCura – Sophomore
Emily Wahr – Senior
Aubrey Wells – Sophomore
Jada Wright – Junior