A crazy three minutes pays off for cheerleading teams

The St. Charles North competitive cheerleading team has been loading up on the hardware lately.

A week after taking eighth at the IHSA state finals in Bloomington, the North Stars finished a program-record sixth at the 24th Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association championships Saturday at Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield.

St. Charles North was tops among five Daily Herald area schools that placed in the top 15 in the large varsity division. Benet Academy took seventh, while Glenbard North was ninth. Waubonsie Valley took 10th and Wheaton-Warrenville South finished 15th. The top 15 place-finishers were recognized in the 24-team event. The ICCA does not reveal scores.

Round Lake finished second in the 5-team game cheer division (jumps, signs and poms only; routines are one minute in length).

Bartlett, Geneva, Glenbard West and Maine West did not place in the large division. South Elgin did not place in the coed competition. Edwardsville won the large varsity state title.

"This is pretty much the best thing I've ever been part of," said St. Charles North senior Katie Gallemore. "Sixth is the best our school has ever done. We all had energy and we all really wanted it. We put everything we had out there for the seniors. We made sure we put everything out on the floor."

For Wheaton-Warrenville South senior captain Marlee Schroeder, any nerves quickly turned into adrenaline once she reached the competition floor.

"It's crazy," said Schroeder. "You are so nervous. But by the time you get out there, you are so calm because you've done it a million times. And before you know it, it's over. We work so hard and it's only three minutes long. It's crazy, but it totally pays off."

Geneva senior Rebecca Livingston saw a different Vikings team on the floor Saturday.

"We've improved so much," said Livingston. "We worked through it and came out on top. Going to state was the way to show it."

Maine West senior captain Cindy Miceli said the team benefited from a large contingent of fans that made the trek to Springfield. An ICCA official estimated Saturday's competitions filled the convention center arena to 85 percent capacity.

"We had the biggest group of fans and had a lot of energy," said Miceli, who was competing in the ICCA event for a third time. "The judges and the staff complimented us on how great and energized our fans were. This was a great experience in general."

Bartlett qualified for the championships for the third time in school history.

"We did a great job," said Bartlett sophomore Stephanie Beckstrom. "Everybody pulled their weight. This is the best routine we have performed. It was amazing."

Competition continues Sunday with the small and large junior varsity divisions. Addison Trail, Benet and St. Charles North are scheduled in the small JV competition, while Glenbard North, Grayslake Central, Jacobs, Lake Zurich and St. Viator are slated to compete in the large JV championships.