by Taylor Carlson
Joliet Central hosted one of the
five Cheerleading Sectionals this year on January 28th. The competition decided
which teams moved on to the IHSA State finals this year. It is an honor to be
able to have hosted an event of this importance at our school. Other schools
that hosted Sectionals are as follows: Belvidere, Highland, Mahomet, and Rolling
Medows.
The Sectionals were a very big
deal. Fifty eight schools came from all around Illinois to compete at this
competition. There were four different divisions and five teams from each
division were sent on to compete at State the first weekend of February. Our
own Joliet Central Varsity Cheerleading Team took fifth place out of eleven
teams in the co-ed division.
The Central Varsity Cheer Team
performed in the morning and had a big turn-out for a crowd. The crowd
consisted of parents, family members, central students, and even the Men’s
Varsity Basketball Team who the girls cheer for on a regular basis. The Cheer Team
performed with such enthusiasm and excitement on the mat. The girls competed
with difficult stunts, pyramids, tumbling and dancing. They managed to go out
on the mats and give it their all and performed everything perfectly while also
having fun. Many central students and
their parents volunteered to help work at the event to help it run more
precisely. Also, Babes Hotdogs catered during the day at the event which was a
very appetizing.
The fact that the girls took fifth
place and have the chance to go to State is just fantastic. The Monday after
the girls had placed at Sectionals, SNN played a video that showed the girls
perform their routine at Sectionals and it also captured the moment when the
girls found out they were going to State. The last time Joliet Central had a
cheerleading team go to state was 1986. The Cheer Team has made a very big
milestone in the Central Athletics program.