Cheerleading sectionals this weekend

Elk Grove High School's cheerleaders takes their four successive state championships into Saturday's sectionals, but increasingly they are facing stiff competition.

Earlier this month, they came in third at a competition at Lake Zurich High School, with Downers Grove South High School first. They won the Mid Suburban League Conference, but Barrington High School was right on their heels.

"Barrington has a very strong team," said Jeff Siegal, Elk Grove coach. "Their guys are all gymnasts and they have complete, full-squad tumbling, which we don't have."

Saturday's sectionals take place at five sites across the state: Grayslake North, Belvidere, Colfax, Highland and Joliet West high schools.

The top five teams at regionals in each division - small, medium, large school and coed - will advance to the championships taking place Feb. 5 and 6 at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, where last year nearly 10,000 people attended.

This is the fifth year the Illinois High School Association has sponsored competitive cheerleading as one of its 35 sports and activities. Over the years, more schools have entered its qualifying tournaments, with nearly 300 competing this year.

"We've seen a nice steady growth," says Susie Knoblauch, assistant executive director of the IHSA, who adds that the number of participating schools ranks it below girls swimming but above girls tennis.

With increased numbers, qualifying for state at sectionals becomes even more difficult, coaches say.

Barrington's coach, Laura Podolski, trained under Siegal when she was in high school as part of his private ACE all-star cheerleading squad. Consequently, she knows what it takes to produce a winning program.

"Our varsity is one of the best coed tumbling teams in the state right now," Podolski said. "We've got outstanding jumps and great stunts, but it always comes down to how clean you can deliver the program. That's where Jeff's teams always shine."

Teams spent this week polishing their programs. They have exactly three minutes to make their case in front of the judges on Saturday, and they'd better nail it.

Stevenson High School has finished in the top 10 among large schools every year and figures to go up against Conant, Lake Zurich and Neuqua Valley. To elevate her squad, Stevenson coach Jessica Murphy has filled its routine with difficult stunts, including bigger basket tosses with double-twist rotations.

"We're going to push it to the max," Murphy says, "and get as much out of our three minutes as possible."

Neuqua Valley cheerleaders had a 10th-place finish last year, and they hope to move up, said coach Jackie Birner.

"We didn't do as well at conference, so we're really fired up for sectionals," she said, pointing to a third-place finish in conference behind Lake Park and Streamwood, who both will be competing in the coed division on Saturday.

Among medium schools, Lake County programs are among the top contenders, with Wauconda, Grayslake North and Antioch all finishing in the top 10 last year.

"We've scored really well this year, especially with our pyramids and stunts," said Antioch coach Robin Gwinn, "but on Saturday they really have to go out there and own it."