DuPage dance teams revel in championship run

In some ways, high school dance teams are the redheaded stepchild of competition, not getting the overall adoration and attention of, say, the football team and its cheerleaders.

But three schools in the DuPage-Will County area have something no one can take away from them: a state championship.

Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville won its first grand champion title last Sunday in the dance portion at the Team Dance Illinois competition in Peoria, while Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream claimed the 4A poms title and Wheaton North captured the 3A poms championship.

Coaches of all three teams say it was a season of hard work that ultimately paid off.

"This year was especially amazing, as this team has never even placed Top 10 at a TDI state competition," said Deena Vargocko, a Glenbard North coach.

"I don't think there was a dry eye when they called our name for first."

Neuqua's overall title was its first - and the team wasn't the odds-on favorite, said Sonja Rzeszutko, dance team coach, but "something finally clicked."

Neuqua put a personal touch on its performances, with Rzeszutko choreographing one of its numbers, "Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin.

The team also persuaded Naperville's favorite "American Idol" contestant, Gina Glocksen, to record a version of the U2 song the team danced to at the state competition.

Glenbard North, meanwhile, tried something a little different. The pom team selected "video games" as its theme and danced to music from Tetris, Pac Man, Super Mario Brothers and Guitar Hero.

The team's state title capped off "a pretty amazing season," Vargocko said, in which the team finished first in poms four regional competitions, winning the "most artistic award" three times for its pom routine.

Rzeszutko said another gratifying element is the number of parents and other supporters who traveled to Peoria - no easy jaunt - to watch the competition. There's also the truly subjective nature of how the competitors are judged.

"It's not like baseball or basketball, where you keep score and know the definite winner," she said. "This is truly based on opinion of the judges. All you can do is walk off knowing you did your best."

Neuqua Valley dance team

Captains: Morgan Eminger, Victoria Shudy

Team members: Allie Brown, Erica D'Ambrose, Morgan Flatt, Tricia Goedert, Vanessa Guido, Allie Haumann, Hannah Hazen, Jamie Hennessey, Madi Kemerly, Julia Manno, Nikki Pell, Elleise Piche, Miranda Pollitt, Maggie Shea, Taylor St. Peter, Megan Turnbull, Clare Weingarz

Coaches: Sonja Rzeszutko, Eileen Niedoborski, Justine Walker

Glenbard North dance team

Captains: Katie Sullivan, Alexis Vaughn, Shannon Bryers, Maria Tomsovic

Team members: Samantha Stiemann, Courtney Brousek, Lidia Gonzalez, Angela Engebretson, Brianna Swafford, Brooke Heyduk, Bailey Collins, Bryanna Litvin, Gabi Nonneman, Gaby Gibson, Katie Hesser, Dani Kfoury, Caitlyn Patrasso, Chrissy Gillespie, Nicolette Wellman, Stephanie Lozano, Bianca Antogiovanni, Abby Paragon, Karissa Forcone

Coaches: Gina Menedez, Deena Vargocko