South Elgin High cheer team to be honored with Accent on Achievement
Team won first place in state finals
The Elgin Area School District U-46 board of education will honor the South Elgin High School coed varsity cheer team on Monday, Feb. 26, for being named champions at the Illinois High School Association cheerleading state finals.
The team, with 24 students from all grade levels, ranked first among 25 coed finalist groups in the state championships held in Bloomington on Feb. 2-3, 2024.
The other categories were small team, medium team, and large team. It’s a repeat championship for South Elgin High School, which also won the coed division in 2020.
In celebration of their win, a gathering to welcome the team’s bus home from the state tournament was held on the Sunday night they returned. The team was honored at halftime of the South Elgin High boys basketball game on Feb. 6.
There was also an all-school assembly to recognize the team and showcase the state trophy. Students and staff viewed the cheer team’s winning routine on an overhead screen.
Head coach Savannah Bennett said the team members had a special bond, and all focused on how they could support their teammates.
“Cheerleading is a physically demanding sport, and they trained hard all season. When we mixed in the mentality work, it allowed us to practice and perform at a higher level,” she said. “Seeing their months of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice pay off is something I will never forget. I hope when our athletes look back on this moment, they are proud of themselves for what they accomplished, together as a team.”
The students being honored are: seniors Maya Jovanovic, Isabella Meloun and Katie Solis; juniors Kyra Clark, Taylor Davis, Bryan Estrada, Adriana Jimenez, Adelyn Logsdon, Bridget Lucas, Nevaeh Poole, Aubriunna Rosa, Emma Salazar, Morgan Stokes, Stewart Williams Jr., and Greta Zelaitis; sophomores Sophia Catania, Kaelyn Lindsay, Isabella Napoles, Kylie Rogowski, Stella Shah, Emma Marie Steinhofer, and Paige Vargas; and freshmen Kirsten Cones and Hunter Lindsay.
The team was coached by head coach Savannah Bennett and assistant coaches Kathryn Ciolli and Savannah Swayze.
The “Accent on Achievement” certificates will be presented to Bennett and the 24 students on the coed cheer team at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, in room 140 of the Educational Services Center.
The U-46 Board of Education meeting will also be streamed live on the district’s YouTube channel and via Zoom.