The varsity cheer team is off to a strong start in their season, placing second at Midwest Cheerfest, the North Pole Cheer Invite and the cheer invite at Joliet West, all of which took place in December. The team is on track to qualify for the state competition on Feb. 2-3.

In order to make it to state, the team has to place top five in their large varsity sectional. There are 18 teams in the sectional, and last year the team failed to make the top five. However, head varsity cheer coach and special education teacher Shannon Lahey spoke on what makes the team different from last year.

“The kids that have been in our program before have really grown in their skills and their stunts, so we just have a lot of natural talent. Not that last year we didn’t have natural talent, but last year they had to work really hard to achieve the skills that we were putting on for our competition routine, whereas this year we started the season with those skills,” Lahey said.

The team practices four times a week and mainly focuses on perfecting their stunts and motions. They also cheer at basketball games and have competitions every weekend. Senior Olivia Kleifges is a leader on the cheer team and explained how the team is preparing for state.

“We have been preparing for state by competing at other competitions to gain feedback from judges to make our routine the strongest it can be, and we bring in multiple people to either help coach, critique motions or make our stunts stronger and more confident looking. We run our routine many times throughout the week, and nitpick everything in it. It’s all about consistency when it comes to this sport, and making sure we can hit the routine every time to the best of our ability,” Kleifges said.

In cheerleading, every detail counts. Touching hair, walking with hunched shoulders and even putting your thumbs out can lower the team’s score. Every member has to work hard to make the team as efficient and perfect as it can be.

According to Lahey, though, the team is great at working together, and they find ways to make practice fun while putting in the hard work.

“What’s great is that they really like each other; they are bonded as a family, so they work really well together. So when they’re squirrely it’s because they’re talking and joking around and laughing and they just need a reminder to focus, but in general they work really well together because they like each other and they get along and they have each other’s back. So this is a very family dynamic, which is really nice because there hasn’t been any kind of drama or any turmoil amongst the team,” Lahey said.

Due to this tight-knit relationship between members and the natural talent throughout the team, Kleifges strongly believes the team will make it to state this year.

“I am confident the cheer team will make it down to state. After the many competitions we have attended and placing second at each one, if we continue this I have no doubt. Compared to last year, this year having a stronger dynamic, as well as the amount of new skills brought to the team and how hard we have been working, I am so much more confident in making it down to state,” Kleifges said.
Sectionals is the next competition for the cheerleaders, taking place on Jan. 27. The sectional host is yet to be decided.