​Lemont Cheerleading Earns 15th Straight Trip To State Finals

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School's varsity cheerleading team is once again heading to the IHSA state finals. The school said head coach Bree Grady’s team won the IHSA Joliet Central Sectional Feb. 1 to advance to the 2020 IHSA Medium Division Cheerleading State Finals, which will be contested at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8.

A six-time state champion, Lemont not only won its sixth sectional crown, but also secured its 15th state finals berth in as many seasons, the school said. Lemont’s cheerleading squad is one of only two athletic programs in school history to win an IHSA team state championship, having done so in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2018. The Indians also finished as state runners-up in 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2016, and brought home third-place trophies in 2006 and 2012.

Lemont has won 12 state trophies in 14 previous state finals appearances, and never has finished lower than fifth in state finals competition, the school said.

Lemont pulled out a narrow victory in sectional competition after posting a score of 89.58. Oak Forest (89.29), Tinley Park (88.31), Chicago Brooks (87.04) and Providence Catholic (86.17) rounded out the Medium Division state qualifiers from the IHSA Joliet Central Sectional, the school said.

Grady’s team includes seniors Hailey Dennis, Kyra Feltz, Haley Nash, Claire O’Malley and Jenna Valenti; juniors Madison Dunbar, Hannah Nagel, Angelina Rita and Alyiah Ward; sophomores Abigail Cliff, Daleigh Johnson-Pawlak, Kaya Myrda, McKenna Phelan, Tess Sublette and Skylar Yabush; and freshmen Reese Dunbar, Abigail Nagel, Francesca Rita, Danielle Scumaci and Hunter Wilson.

The state final preliminary rounds for both the small and medium divisions began at 9 a.m. Friday, with entries from the two divisions alternating. Lemont will be the final team to compete when it takes the mat at 1:10 p.m. The finals for the medium division will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, with the awards ceremony scheduled to follow at 1:15 p.m., according to LHS.

Tickets for the IHSA State Finals will be available at the door, and are $10 for both children and adults each session.