The IHSA Cheerleading State Finals return to Bloomington's Grossinger Motors Arena on Friday and Saturday, February 1-2. A total of 100 schools will perform in Friday's prelims, with twenty-five qualifying in each of the four classes: Small, Medium, Large, and Coed. The Top 10 teams in each class on Friday will return to perform again in Saturday’s finals.
Every performance this weekend will be streamed live on the NFHS Network via www.IHSA.tv with a subscription, with Heather Kirkley and Josh Anderson providing analysis.
SMALL CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: 2, Johnsburg; Woodlawn
14-Time Qualifiers: None
Sectional Champions: Johnsburg (88.57); Wilmington (87.96); Farmington (85.96); Breese Central (85.17); Greenville (83.83)
Rockford Lutheran’s first IHSA cheerleading trophy in school history was the big one, as the Lady Crusaders followed 2017’s fourth-place finish with their first state championship. Farmington also won its first trophy a year ago, as the runner-up Farmers were Sectional champs last week for the second straight year. 2016 state champion Wilmington (4th in 2018) and three-time IHSA state champ Breese Central (2014, 2015, 2017) are programs with pedigrees who also claimed Sectional crowns this season. Greenville is a state qualifier for the third time, with all three trips coming in the past four years. The Lady Comets secured two of the three via Sectional titles (2016 & 2019). Two-time runner-up Rockridge is back after last year’s Top 5 finish, while Top 10 teams North Boone (7th), Timothy Christian (8th) and Paris (9th) all return as well. Johnsburg is one of the most intriguing teams entering Grossinger Motors Arena this week. The Skyhawks are first-time state final qualifiers, but made their entrance with an exclamation point, having topped the defending state champs to win their Sectional.
MEDIUM CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: None
14-Time Qualifiers: Bloomington; Lemont; Oak Forest; Tinley Park
Sectional Champions: Oak Forest (92.36); Crystal Lake Central (92.09); Grayslake Central (91.91); Columbia (86.69); Washington (86.23)
Legendary head coach David Erlenbaugh helped Lemont reach the top of the podium again 2019, as Lemont went back-to-back en route to the sixth state championship in program history. Perennial power Oak Forest, state champs in 2016, managed to top Lemont at Sectionals on Saturday. Fellow Sectional champ Crystal Lake Central scored its second trophy and best finish in school history a year ago when the Tigers placed second, while Grayslake Central and Washington appear to building toward trophy contention, having won their first Sectionals a year ago, before repeating this year. The final Sectional crown in the Medium Class went to Columbia (8th in 2018), a program with four state titles and seven total trophies, while last year’s third-place winner Antioch has three trophies and six Top 5 finishes in program history. Burlington Central was seventh last year in the school’s first time qualifying for state, while Grayslake North (9th) and Tinley Park (10th) are storied programs who found themselves in the Top 10 again last year.
LARGE CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: 1, Glenbrook North
14-Time Qualifiers: 1, Sandburg
Sectional Champions: Stevenson (92.20); Neuqua Valley (91.56); Marist (91.51); Harlem (90.53); Lincoln-Way East (89.76)
Joliet West now owns three consecutive Top 2 finishes in the IHSA’s Large Class, having followed 2016’s state title with a second place finish, before winning their second state championship last year by more than four points. 2018 runner-up Marist and third-place Stevenson both appear to be ready to contend for the podium again after winning Sectionals on Saturday. Each has won multiple state trophies, but both are looking for their first respective state championship this weekend. Three-time state champ Lincoln-Way East (7th in 2018) comes to Bloomington with the momentum of a Sectional title, as does Neuqua Valley (9th in 2018), who won three straight trophies from 2014-2016 and hopes to hoist its first championship on Saturday. Harlem qualified for the state finals for the first time in 2017 and continues its program ascension after wearing a Sectional crown for the first time ever last week. Third in 2017, perennial power Sandburg has never missed the state meet before, piling up three state titles, six total trophies and 13 Top 10 finishes in that timeframe. Huntley recorded its best finish in school history last year, placing fifth, while three other Top 10 returning teams will all vie for their first trophies in school history in Jacobs (6th), Prospect (8th) and Edwardsville (10th).
COED CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: 1, Larkin
14-Time Qualifiers: 5, Conant; Elk Grove Village; Grant; Lake Park, Lockport
Sectional Champions: Belvidere North (94.53); Plainfield South (92.56); Lockport (91.71); Conant (90.57); Glenbard East (87.24)
The Coed Class has been one of state title runs throughout its history and Belvidere North continued that trend a year ago by winning its second straight championship after ending Buffalo Grove’s three-peat bid in 2017. The Coed leaderboard has a chance to look similar to a year ago, as three teams who won Sectional titles last week were Top 10 finishers in 2018, including Lockport (3rd), Plainfield South (4th) and Glenbard East (9th). Plainfield South and Glenbard East both hope to reach the podium for the first time ever this weekend, while Lockport won its first trophy in the Coed Class last year after compiling two state titles and seven total trophies in the Large Class from 2006-2017. Grant recorded its best finish in school history last year after finishing second, while Metea Valley (5th in 2018) scored its second Top 5 finish in program history. History tells us the aforementioned Bison of Buffalo Grove (7th in 2018) will be a factor at state, as the program owns three titles and six trophies in its history. South Elgin (8th) and Shepard (10th) round out the returning Top 10 programs from last season, while several past state champions are in the field and will likely be heard from in Bloomington, including Conant, Elk Grove Village and Lake Park.
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TOURNAMENT HISTORY
14th annual State Series
13th year at Grossinger Motors Arena
SITE
Grossinger Motors Arena
Bloomington
Directions
HOST
Bloomington-Normal CVB
BN Sports Commission
SCHEDULE
Team-by-Team Schedules:
Prelims - Finals
Friday, February 1
Session 1
9:00 AM - Prelims of Small & Medium Classes
1:15 PM - Small/Medium finalists announced
Session 2
3:30 PM - Prelims of Large & Coed Classes
7:45 PM - Large/Coed finalists announced
Saturday, February 2
Session 3
11:00 AM - Finals of Small & Medium Classes
12:45 PM - Small Awards
1:15 PM - Medium Awards
3:00 PM - Finals of Large & Coed Classes
4:45 PM - Large Awards
5:15 PM - Coed Awards
TICKETS
$10 per day
Order Online
WATCH
All performances available live on NFHS Network via www.IHSA.tv
RESULTS
Friday Prelim Results
Saturday Final Results
SOCIAL MEDIA
#IHSA on Twitter
Twitter - @IHSAstate
Instagram - @IHSA_IL
Facebook.com/IHSA.IL
Classic IHSA YouTube Video
OFFICIAL STATE FINAL
Gear from Minerva
Photos from VIP
IHSA Program
STATE SUPPORTERS
Country Financial
Wilson Sporting Goods
Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano
Gatorade
MaxPreps
Ross Athletic
UCA
Varsity Brands
HISTORY & RECORDS
2019 Sectional Results
Record Book & Past Champions
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