Lake Zurich High honors champion cheerleaders
Lake Zurich High School's athletic excellence was recognized again Sunday, this time with an assembly for the girls varsity cheerleading team that brought home a state championship.
Dressed in their cheerleader uniforms with gold medals hanging around their necks, all 26 girls on the team held hands and entered Lake Zurich High's field house to enthusiastic applause that lasted about two minutes. More than 100 supporters attended.
Senior Jenna Therrien said she found inspiration in the boys football team. Lake Zurich's football team celebrated a Class 7A second-place state finish in the field house in November and won it all in 2007.
“When they go to practice every day, they're working so hard,” Therrien said of the football players. “Are we working that hard?”
Lake Zurich edged Hoffman Estates' Conant High School to nab the large division state title Saturday in downstate Bloomington. Coach Pam Bonnevier told the crowd that early-season practices were “awful,” but the team peaked at the right time.
Bonnevier, a Round Lake resident who is Northwestern University's spirit squad coordinator, credited the Lake Zurich girls for becoming what she called true ambassadors for the school.
“They have been champions off the mat as well as on the mat,” Bonnevier said.
Lake Zurich High School Athletic Director Rolly Vazquez said the cheerleaders didn't have it easy on the way to the state championship. He said some of the girls suffered mouth, nose and ankle injuries.
“Who says cheerleading isn't a sport?” said Vazquez, who amused the spectators by donning a blue wig similar to a pompon.
Lake Zurich High has been on a sports roll for the 2010-11 academic year. In addition to the champion cheerleaders and second-place football team, boys cross-country finished second in the state and boys bowling placed third.
Plans are for the cheerleaders to be honored at the Lake Zurich village board meeting Feb. 22. Lake Zurich Mayor Suzanne Branding, an ex-cheerleader, issued the invitation while she spoke at Sunday's recognition assembly.
“We're all very proud of each and every one of you,” Branding told the girls.