IHSA announces Illinois’s top cheerleading squads

The Illinois High School Association conducted the state finals in cheerleading this morning and afternoon at the US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.

The squad from Tinley Park High School finished sixth in the medium team finals (IHSA-TV)

Cheerleading competition in Illinois high schools is divided into four events, not enrollment classes, and which event a team falls into depends on the make-up of the squad. There’s an event for small teams, medium teams, large teams, and one for coed teams.

Through a series of sectional competitions, which take place at pre-selected schools throughout the state, 10 teams in each event advance to the state finals. Because of the way teams fall into the events, however, the number of teams from each sectional that earn the right to advance to the state finals in an event is flexible.

The top three teams in each event were presented with trophies and individual medals at today’s competition when each event competition was over:

In coed team cheer, the top three schools were:

1. Buffalo Grove High School in Buffalo Grove
2. Belvidere North High School in Belvidere
3. Niles North High School in Skokie

In large team cheer, the winners were:

1. Joliet West High School in Joliet
2. Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox
3. Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville

In medium team competition, the top three were:

1. Oak Forest High School in Oak Forest
2. Lemont High School in Lemont
3. Crystal Lake Central High School in Crystal Lake

Finally, in small team cheer, the winners were:

1. Wilmington High School in Wilmington
2. Carlyle High School in Carlyle
3. Breese Central High School in Breese