Success breeds success — in other words it can be contagious. Student athletes at Charlotte High School have found a lot of success at the end of the winter sports season and have shared the wealth.
Sports like basketball and football typically draw headlines and attention, but at Charlotte, some of the lesser covered sports have been models of success year in and year out. A prime example is the competitive cheer team. This year the girls captured their seventh consecutive league title. They also captured their first Division 3 regional championship en route to a sixth place finish at the state finals.
Another prime example is the girls bowling program, which won a regional title for the seventh time in nine seasons. The success of these two programs and the excitement they’ve generated has passed on to other sports and student athletes.
“We held a mini-pep assembly to make sure that all our student athletes received the recognition they deserve,” said Dan Stafford, CHS Athletic Director. “We’ve had a lot of success in the sports that not all kids know a lot about. But getting to see that, hopefully it helps to continue to grow those programs.”
The girls varsity basketball team won its first district championship since 2005, defeating Ionia on Friday, March 2. The boys varsity basketball team reached the district finals, and were scheduled to play Ionia Friday, March 9 at Lakewood High school.
CHS senior Jared Bishop qualified for the MHSAA State Finals in swimming and will compete March 17 at Saginaw Valley State University in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle. Bishop set the CAAC Red record in the 50-meter freestyle this season.
CHS wrestler Jarrett Thorne reached the MHSAA Division 2 state finals in the 152-pound weight division.
Celebrating success is something the entire school has been more focused on in the last few years, said Dr. Bill Barnes, CHS principal.
“The Flight Club has been big for the school,” Barnes said of the student section that makes it a point to attend at least one game, match, or meet for each sport throughout the season. “We’ve done a better job of celebrating success period. It helps kids to understand they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Caring about being Orioles translates into success on the field and in the classroom.”
