Cheerleading group celebrates milestone at weekend championships
One week after the IHSA conducted its state finals in competitive cheerleading, another group of qualifiers head to Springfield this weekend for the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association championships.
It will be the organization's 25th championships, and one that continues to stress development of its coaches, officials say, and by extension, its student members.
"We worked with the IHSA to set up their state series, and we don't want to outdo them," says Co-President Mickey Klement of Joliet. "So we are very careful not to call ours a state competition, but a championship for our members. But our rubric for judging is similar, and many of the judges are the same."
Klement adds that four years ago, when the IHSA officially recognized cheerleading as a sport and set up its state finals, the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association was thrilled.
Beginning on Saturday, 130 cheerleading teams - nearly 2,000 students - from across Illinois will gather for the two-day event at the Prairie Capital Center in Springfield.
What sets this competition apart is that it welcomes junior varsity, middle school squads and even those who compete only in sideline, game day cheers to vie for championship titles.
"That's what I like about it, that we can go to the same one as our junior varsity," says Sarah Robertson, coach of the Glenbard North varsity and junior varsity teams, who will compete in Springfield this weekend.
"The ICCA has been around much longer, and its championship is much more accessible for teams," Robertson added. "We've tried every year to qualify for the IHSA tournament, and this was the first year we did."
Competing in the large varsity division last weekend in Bloomington, Glenbard North failed to make it past the preliminary round, but at this weekend's championships, they are hoping to better last year's ninth place finish.
"We've added a lot more difficulty to the routine, with more stunts," Robertson says. "But our main goal is to pull off a clean performance. That's what the ICCA looks for."
Joining them in the Large Varsity class are squads from Benet Academy in Lisle, St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights and Addison Trail.
Glenbard South in Glen Ellyn will compete in Medium Varsity and Lisle High School in Coed.
"Both teams have worked very hard to be able to compete at this state level," says Tim Carlson, St. Viator athletic director, whose varsity and junior varsity squads qualified. "We're proud of all that they have accomplished."
Junior varsity teams will compete on Sunday, and for them it is their state competition. Area teams include Benet Academy, Addison Trail, Marian Central Catholic in Woodstock, Glenbard North, Jacobs in Algonquin, Glenbard West in Glen Ellyn, St. Viator and Grayslake Central high schools.
Of the middle school teams advancing, St. Mary's School in Buffalo Grove, returns to the state level competition.
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