Barrington cheerleaders attend camp

As football season approaches, Barrington High School cheerleaders jumpstart the year by attending Super CDA camp in Tinley Park.

Both the varsity and junior varsity squads work on skills, stunting, tumbling and bonding with squad members and other schools in a three-day camp setting. During the session, counselors determine who exhibits outstanding cheerleading skills on an individual and team basis.

The finale of the camp is a presentation featuring all schools and squad performing new routines, as well as taking part in head-to-head competition.

With over 550 girls and 16 plus teams attending, BHS came home with the following accomplishments:

The junior varsity squad was a semi-finalist in the head-to-head competition for tumbling; and varsity a finalist in the head-to-head competition for tumbling, and a semi-finalist in the head-to-head competition for stunting.

Varsity -- including Kacey Valentine, Christie Regan, Lela DiMonte and Dani Burgoon -- was a finalist in the Best of the Best Stunt Group. Jackie DiMonte was a finalist in the Best of the Best Crowd Leader competition; Danielle Gray was a finalist in the Best of the Best Dance competition; Jessica Wink was a finalist in the Best of the Best Jumps competition; Ashley Prislinger was a finalist in the Best of the Best Tumbling competition and winner of the Best of the Best Leaps competition; and Claire Karon was the winner of the Freestyle Jazz competition.

Varsity coach Laura Meehan feels that both teams greatly benefited from the camp. The cheer competition season opens Nov. 17 at Lake Park High School.