Wheeling wins 1st state title in performance art

The Illinois Drill Team Association is the granddaddy of dance and flag competitions, having just wrapped up their 31st state championships in Champaign.

However, even the IDTA can reinvent itself.

At their state series on Saturday in Assembly Hall, the IDTA introduced a new category into the mix of poms, dance and flag routines: step teams.

Wheeling High School's Crucial Step Clique won the state's first championship in the performance art, which is a mix between stomp and step moves, with some hip hop woven in, all while making rhythms in unison with their hands and feet.

Wheeling led the Class AAA, ahead of Waubonsie Valley, which took second, Downers Grove North, which placed third, and Naperville Central, which came in fourth.

"We're thrilled and excited," said Coach Crystal Ellis, a math teacher at Wheeling High School. "They've worked so hard for this all year long."

The step teams performed near the end of the daylong competition, which took place in Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois and drew a crowd of nearly 5,000 fans.

"They're always well received at our school. The crowd loves them," added Ellis, who worked with choreographer Tanisha Brewer of Wheeling. "I think now that it's a state recognized activity, it will definitely strengthen the value of our program."

In all, nearly 125 schools throughout the state qualified dance or flags teams adding up to 159 performances.

"Our organization has grown since last year and we're really excited about that," said Michelle Deets, IDTA president. "We work with the IHSA to correlate with their state guidelines for competitive team series."

In other events, St. Charles East High School came away with three state championships in all Class AAA flag events, including tall flag, lyrical flag and colorguard.

"All three routines were probably the hardest we've ever done," said Coach Johnni Zabka. "With the colorguard routine, we took on the challenge of using three props, including tall flags, short flags and hoops.

"It involved a lot of risk, with lots of tosses and exchanges," Zabka added, "and we had no idea how it would go over. But the girls did it flawlessly."

Bagging three state titles was a fitting way for Zabka to go out. She is retiring after coaching the Saints' varsity drill team for 14 years, and brought home a state championship every year since 2002.

On Saturday, Zabka was inducted into the Illinois Drill Team Association Hall of Fame.

"It's been so nice to see the growth of the organization, and see the development of the teams," Zabka said. "This was most competition we've had in tall flags and lyrical."

Two of their main competitors were Round Lake and Lake Zurich high schools, who finished second and third in tall flag, while Lake Zurich earned second in lyrical.

"Our lyrical score was our highest this year," said Coach Libby Reimann. "It was beautifully choreographed, but that it fell a bit short of the state championship mark."

Downers Grove North won a lot of state hardware. They won the Class AAA lyrical event, while Rolling Meadows came in fourth. The Trojans also placed third in jazz and kick, while Plainfield Central won the Class AAA kick event, with Hinsdale South coming in fifth.

However, Hinsdale South won the Class AAA poms event, followed by Plainfield Central in second.