Stevenson Patriettes tally a big win at contest

The last award of the night the TEAMDance Illinois state championships in Peoria went to the overall Class AAA dance champions, and it came as quite a surprise.

Stevenson's Patriettes won the dance title last month, despite finishing as runner-up in both the Class AAA kick and lyrical events. Maine South edged them for the lyrical title while St. Charles North took first in kick.

Yet Stevenson's combined scores from those events were so high, they added up to the overall championship. It was the Patriettes' first class title since TEAMDance Illinois formed four years ago.

"We knew we still had a chance when no team won two events," said Stevenson head coach Kristin Piekarski, "but it still was a shock. The girls were so excited."

The team held out hope that their two second-place finishes would push them to the top, reflecting their high-caliber dancers and overall balance in their technique.

"As a coach, you always want to win your event, or at least place," says Jane Richards, TEAMDance Illinois director and former poms coach at Fremd High School. "But winning the class is right up there. It's a big deal, especially for these really competitive schools."

Going into the championships, Piekarski expected her team to do well in both events. They entered as Class AAA lyrical champions and runners-up in the kick event, and both routines had scored well at competitions this season.

"Their artistry and technical difficulty of their movements is right up there," Piekarski said.

They performed their high-flying kick routine to "Rock 'n' Roll," where they were judged on everything from how high above their heads their kicks were to how technically sound they executed them.

Their lyrical routine offered judges a stark contrast as the Patriettes showed their solid foundation in ballet, dancing to Pat Monahan's ballad "Always Midnight."

"They hit their routines perfectly," Piekarski said. "It was the best we'd done them all season. They couldn't have done them any better."

Late last month, their classmates at Stevenson saw a video during morning announcements of the team presenting the state championship trophy to Principal Janet Gonzalez, as well as clips from their award winning performances.