Mt. Prospect Cheerleading Club wins 3 bids to state

The cheerleaders of the Mount Prospect Cheerleading Club (MPCC) jumped to their feet in excitement as the announcer declared them the first place winners in their division at the 2011 Spirit Spectacular on November 6th. Tears and hugs followed as coaches and parents beamed. An uninformed onlooker would have thought the win to be the first for the 7th graders from Mount Propsect and surrounding suburbs. In fact, it was the third consecutive first place win for the squad, earning them 3 bids to the Illinois Recreational Cheerleading Association (IRCA) State Championships to be held at the Sears Centre on December 3rd and 4th.

The cheerleaders were excited for the win, but equally excited to learn that their younger teammates on the 6th Grade Squad had also placed first in their division and would be joining them at the IRCA State Championships.

Both squads will compete again at Bartlett High School on Sunday, November 13th. They will be joined by their older "sisters" on the 8th Grade Squad as they vie for that elusive State bid. The very talented 8th Grade Squad has held strong in the face of adversity in the form of broken bones, concussions, and various other injuries. The majority of the members of the 8th Grade Squad competed at State last year and, for many of them, this year will be their last opporunity to perform for capacity crowds in the Sears Centre arena.

The 3 consecutive wins and State bids earned by the 7th Grade Competition Squad is a rare achievement in the highly-competitive world of recreational cheerleading.

Coaches Elaina Gallichio and Katherine Griffin attribute the team's success to their passion for the sport. "This is an extraordinarily talented group of girls," said Gallichio, "They work very hard and really care about one another."

The cheerleaders realize they have already done something special, but want to be the best. Says 7th grader Mia Phillipas, "We got this. We are going to win it all!"