Lemont’s Dance Squad Records Third IHSA State Finals Berth in Four Seasons

LEMONT, IL — For the third time in four years, Lemont High School’s Dance program has advanced to state finals competition. Head coach Jordan Fandrey’s squad finished fifth at one of two IHSA Class 2A Sectionals at Geneva High School on January 21. That effort earned the Indians a berth to the 2017 IHSA Class 2A Competitive Dance State Finals, which will be contested on Friday, January 27, and Saturday, January 28, at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Ill. Lemont will be looking to improve on last year’s 15th-place effort, which is the program’s best state finals finish since Competitive Dance became an IHSA-sponsored sport during the 2012-13 school year.

Lemont posted a score of 84.97 in sectional competition. Eisenhower (92.60) won the IHSA Sectional and put up the best score among all sectional competitors throughout the state. Batavia (89.93), Oak Forest (87.07), Hinsdale South (86.43) and Thornton (82.13) also qualified for state finals competition from Lemont’s sectional. The top six teams from each sectional advance to the IHSA State Finals.

The preliminary rounds for Class 2A will begin at 3:15 p.m. on Friday; Lemont is scheduled to perform at 4:47 p.m. The top ten teams from each classification will move on to the second day of competition. Class 2A’s final round will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with the awards ceremony scheduled to follow at 3:45 p.m.

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

Fandrey’s team includes seniors Mira Antonopoulos, Brooke Bulanda, Emie Choquette, Kristin Cwik, Megan Dzimira, Madison Filippini, Teja Johnson, Emily Kirkolis, Aidan Korte and Melissa Moravek; juniors Sydney Bronner, Grace Chialdikas, Alexandra Galica, Hope Heeg, Gabriela Valles and Samantha Wrobel; and sophomores Angela Marseille, Julia Popper and Rachel Rumbaugh.

Lemont made its first IHSA State Finals appearance in 2014, when it finished 23rd of 30 teams. After a year’s hiatus, the Indians were 15th of 30 teams at the 2016 IHSA State Finals. The program previously had success in the TEAMDance Illinois State Championship and Illinois Dance Team Association State Finals. Lemont’s best finish ever in state competition came in 1996, when it was third in the Class AA Novelty category at the IDTA State Finals.

Competitive Dance is the fourth Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. The girls’ cross country team was 14th at the Class 2A State Finals; the boys’ golf team was 11th at the Class 2A State Finals; and Sylvia Kobylak competed at the IHSA Swimming State Finals.