 In only its second year of competitive cheerleading with IHSA and
the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association, the LCHS competitive
cheerleading squad started off with a shout!
Last year's squad, the school's first ever, advanced to the IHSA
state finals and ultimately placed 16th in the state of Illinois.
The question in some minds: Was last year's team a one-year
success story or was it the start of another winning sports
tradition at LCHS?
This year's squad began to answer that question Saturday as it
began its 2009 competition season in an ICCA-sanctioned invitational
at Riverton High School.
Competing against seven other squads in the medium varsity
division, the LCHS girls came out on top with a first-place finish.
The 16-member squad, consisting of an equal number of young women
from every academic class at LCHS and coached by Heather Baker, took
the competition by storm.
Each team has a maximum of 3 1/2 minutes to perform the required
combinations of cheerleading, gymnastic moves, stunts and dance into
one cohesive performance. A panel of independent judges scores each
routine, and the combination of those scores translates into the
final results.
In an excellently choreographed routine designed by Baker and
executed well by the team, Lincoln won out over second-place
Jacksonville High School and third-place Mascoutah High School.
Other teams competing in the medium varsity division competition
were Rochester, Athens, El Paso-Gridley, Mahomet-Seymour and the
gracious host team, Riverton High School.
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This year's squad returns four seniors from last year's
successful squad: Emily Berglin, Kelsey Bunner, Hilary Hobler and
Allissa Martin. Junior squad members are Ericka Bradley, Aubrey
Joseph, Abby Olson and Casey Ritchhart. Sophomore team members are
Tiffany Boch, Dani Julifs, Taylor Perry and Nikki Taylor. Freshman
participants are Macey Browning, Lauren Soebbing, Elaine Tiffany and
Braylen Unser,
The LCHS squad will next perform in another ICCA invitational at
Highland High School on Jan. 25 before moving into the IHSA
sectional in Peoria on Jan. 31. The IHSA state finals are scheduled
for Feb. 6 and 7 at the Cellular One Coliseum in Bloomington. The
ICCA state finals will be at the Prairie Capital Convention Center
in Springfield on Feb. 14 and 15.
GO, RAILERS!
[By RICK
L. HOBLER]
Respond to the writer at
rhobler@lccs.edu.
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