Three cheers for all the winners at TeamDance Illinois

It was a day of upsets at the TeamDance Illinois state championships Sunday, as nearly all of last year's winners saw new squads earn titles.

A crowd of more than 5,000 watched the dance and flag team state championships at the Peoria Civic Center. More than 2,000 students, representing 120 high schools across the state, competed.

The day's biggest upset came in flags as Schaumburg High School's Starlites Flag Squad took first in tall flags - ahead of Fremd and Palatine - and lyrical - ahead of St. Charles East and Fremd, to win the overall team title.

In doing so, they upset Palatine High School, whose squad had won the team championship the last three years.

"It was a bit of an upset," Palatine Coach Amy Vinyard admitted. "But they worked hard all year long. I'm really proud of them." Stevenson's flag team won the short flags title, followed by Rolling Meadows and Hoffman Estates.

Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire was named state champion in Class AAA for having the highest overall score and Crystal Lake Central High School was named state champion in Class AA for having the highest overall score.

It turned out to be a big day for Montini High School's poms team. One day after their girls' basketball team clinched the Class 3A championship, the poms team won the Class A poms title and took second in open poms.

Among large schools in the Class AAA division, Fremd was the defending poms champion but finished second to Wheaton Warrenville South, whose squad won the title with a Hawaiian Aloha dance. Conant, with its Batman theme, tied for third.

Officials formed TeamDance Illinois in 2007, and have seen interest in the regional qualifying tournaments and state series, explode. They started with just over 100 members and this year saw 268 school participate.

Dana Butikofer, state tournament director, says with its increased numbers comes heightened competition.

"We have seen our numbers grow, year after year," Butikofer. "We are now the fastest growing and largest dance and flag competition circuit in Illinois." In the open poms category, Vernon Hills won the Class AA state title, followed by runner-up Batavia and Crystal Lake Central, which placed third. Barrington High School won the Class AAA championship followed by Jacobs.

Jacobs had high hopes for its hip-hop routine where they had won the last four years. However, they wound up in second place after Minooka High School. Mundelein placed third with Lake Zurich High School in fourth.

Geneva High School's dance team came home with two state titles, including Class AA lyrical, where they edged Libertyville and Batavia, which placed third; as well as in open dance, where Vernon Hills finished second.

"All the girls have very strong ballet backgrounds and that really showed, especially in the lyrical," said assistant coach Lauren Thurmond, who filled in for head coach Katie Edison, who remained home awaiting the birth of her baby.

Neuqua Valley High School's dance team also brought home state hardware. They won the Class AAA open dance title, ahead of St. Charles North and Maine South, while placing third in lyrical, behind champions St. Charles North and runners-up Stevenson.

In "kick" routines, Maine South High School won the Class AAA state title, while Stevenson took second and Palatine placed third. Crystal Lake South won the Class AA championship.

View the full results at: www.teamdanceillinois.org/files/2009 2010 files/Results/TDIStateChampionship20100307DanceRankings.pdf

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<li><a href="/story/?id=364236">Images of the TeamDance Illinois finals </a></li>

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