Elk Grove repeats as cheer champ
BLOOMINGTON -- In the short three-year history of Illinois High School Association competitive cheerleading, Elk Grove High School has already established quite a name for itself.
The Grenadiers added to that lore by winning their third straight IHSA competitive cheerleading coed state championship Saturday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
This year's state finals were shortened to one round after Friday's preliminary competition was wiped out due to hazardous winter weather.
Elk Grove, one of 26 Daily Herald coverage area schools competing in the four-division event, won the coed crown with a score of 92.12. Downers Grove South took second (88.66), while Palatine was third (85.80) and Libertyville finished fifth (85.10). St. Charles North was eighth (82.42) and Streamwood took 10th (81.72).
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Elk Grove won the 2007 title with a 91.64 effort and took the 2006 championship with a 91.04 score.
St. Charles North jumped eight places from last year's 16th-place finish.
"We put it all out there on the floor," said St. Charles North senior Lauren Toth. "All of our tumbling went for the most part. All of our stunts were good. We made such a big improvement this year."
Another area team also making a name at state in competitive cheerleading was Antioch.
The Sequoits recorded their third state top 10 finish in as many tries Saturday, this time finishing fourth in the medium team division. Antioch took second in 2006 and sixth last year.
"We're all proud of ourselves," said Antioch senior Stephanie Spooner. "We've made a good impact on the program. Every year we try to push it to the next level and get stronger. It feels good to get Downstate and do as well as we have."
Antioch scored an 85.52 on its three-minute routine (which included a deduction point). Tinley Park High School won the medium team division for the second year in a row with an 89.42 total score.
"We worked together as a team and showed energy with our voices," said Antioch senior Hanna Gwinn, whose mother, Robin, is the team's coach. "We showed energy with our dance and we were flying up in the air. This shows how much work we put in."
In other medium team action, Wauconda, which took third in the state last year, placed sixth (84.66). Vernon Hills was ninth (81.48) and Grayslake North 11th (80.44). Grant finished 21st (74.16).
In the large team division, Lake Park finished fourth (89.90), while Conant was sixth (85.94). Glenbard West finished eighth (85.34) and Stevenson took 12th (83.76).
Other area large team finishers included: Neuqua Valley (14th), Lake Zurich (15th), Prospect (21st), Jacobs (23rd), Maine West (23rd), Naperville Central (24th) and Barrington (25th).
Glenbard South (11th), Glenbard East (16th), South Elgin (17th) and Huntley (24th) rounded out the rest of the area coed finishers.
"Our stunts hit flawlessly," said South Elgin senior co-captain Alex Napoleon. "We changed formations and that helped with timing. This was definitely our best performance of the year. It was a great way to end the season."