Neuqua Valley High School’s varsity cheer team took fifth place Saturday in the state cheerleading finals held by Illinois High School Association at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.
Neuqua Valley High School’s varsity cheer team took fifth place Saturday in the state cheerleading finals held by Illinois High School Association at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.
Coach Kathy Tichelbaut and assistant coach Brandon McGhee said the team has “amazing chemistry” that is evident on and off the competition floor.
“I think it all starts with the 10 seniors we have on our team, five of them who have been with us for the past four years,” Tichelbaut said. “They really set the tone for the season early on.”
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This is the sixth consecutive year that Neuqua Valley has finished in the top 10 in the state series.
“This team never backs down,” Tichelbaut said. “They haven’t won every single competition this season but they never feel defeated. They don’t settle.”
From a pool of more than 300 teams throughout Illinois, 25 teams advanced to the state series in each of the four categories: small, medium and large school and the coed division. After the preliminary round Friday, 10 teams in each category earned a spot to compete in Saturday’s finals.
Neuqua Valley – in the large school division – placed seventh in the preliminary round.
“They went into Saturday knowing it was a new day and their performance on Friday didn’t matter,” Tichelbaut said. “They said they were going to be better today.”
And they were.
Neuqua executed a difficult routine and snagged fifth place honors, she said.
“We are very proud,” McGhee said. “No matter what comes their way, these girls always come back from it. It shows that they are fighters and are here to stay.”
Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.