Coming off of a conference and sectionals win, the ACHS varsity cheer team was set up to have a successful IHSA state competition. The team qualified for state by winning their sectional and receiving first place. After, they had one week of practice to prepare and a final push for a spot on the podium.
The ACHS varsity cheer team worked very diligently during their last week of practice and even when they got to Bloomington for the competition.
“Practicing until the last second is beneficial to help fix any small technical errors,” senior cheerleader Emma Kolloff said.
The night before state, the team practiced, visualized and came together to prepare themselves for the outcome they wanted. The team had a solid day one and was in second place out of 25 teams. In order to make it to day two, teams must be in the top 10, meaning the Sequoits were headed to finals.
“I was in shock and ready to work because you never know what the judges will decide when it comes to scoring and placements,” junior Alex Lehn said.
The Sequoits were ready to live out their dream of being on the podium, and they knew they could make it a reality if they did their jobs on the day of finals, which they did. Their routine was filled with determination and grit. Although it was not perfect, the team was very proud of their final performance of the season.
“The routine was not our best, but with our skill and difficulty, we knew that we would still be successful in our placement,” Kolloff said.
Although their performance moved the Sequoits down to third place, the team was proud to maintain a spot on the podium. History was also made as they were the first team in Illinois to have a conference title, sectional title and a state trophy, all in the same year.
After coming off a third-place win, the team is already eager and planning for their next season. Except for next year, they are going for the gold.
