The IHSA Cheerleading State Finals return to Bloomington's Grossinger Motors Arena on Friday and Saturday, February 7-8. 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.
SMALL CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: Lawrenceville
15-Time Qualifiers: None
Sectional Champions: Farmington (90.40); Wilmington (87.73); Paris (86.51); Carterville & Greenville (tie, 85.80); St. Edward (85.51)
After just missing the podium in 2018 with a fourth-place finish, Wilmington jumped back to the top of it last year, winning the program’s second state championship after previously finishing first in 2016. Expectations remain high for the Sectional champion Wildcats, who could become the first Small Division repeat state champ since Breese Central in 2014-2015. Fellow past state champion Dwight placed second a year ago, which marked the Lady Trojans first trophy since finishing first in 2013. North Boone is building toward becoming a perennial contender, as the school posted its first Top 10 finish in 2018 (7th) and followed that up last year with its first trophy when the Vikings were third. Johnsburg hopes to follow in North Boone’s footsteps, as last year’s fourth-place finish was that program’s first in the Top 10 at state. Farmington has now won four straight Sectionals to go along with two Top 5 finishes in five seasons and one trophy (2nd in 2018), while Greenville (7th in 2019) will vie for its first-ever trophy after claiming a share of its third Sectional crown in five years. Paris captured its first Sectional title since 2016 on Saturday, and hopes this weekend will produce its tenth Top 10 finish along with the school’s third trophy and first state championship. St. Edward has now qualified for state three rows in a row and does so in 2020 with the momentum of its first-ever Sectional crown. Meanwhile, co-Sectional champ Carterville (5th) and New Berlin (10th) are both back in the fold after Top 10 finishes a year ago, and have combined for nine Top 10 finishes between the programs in the past.
MEDIUM CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: Effingham
15-Time Qualifiers: Lemont, Oak Forest, Tinley Park
Sectional Champions: Grayslake Central (94.09); Vernon Hills (90.93); Columbia (90.39); Washington (90.00); Lemont (89.58)
Sectional champion Grayslake Central enjoyed a slow build toward its first state championship in 2019. The Rams finished eighth, ninth or tenth from 2014-17, before recording both their first Sectional title and first Top 10 state finish in 2018, which helped set the stage for last year’s title run. Oak Forest and Antioch are programs who always seem to be near the podium on Saturday at state, and 2019 was no exception when they placed second and third, respectively. 2016 state champ Oak Forest has seven trophies in school history, while Antioch has four and counting. From 2009-2015, Columbia won five state trophies in six seasons, including four straight titles across the Small and Medium Classes. The Eagles hope to use last week’s Sectional title as momentum for their first trophy since 2017. Speaking of streaks, Washington has now won three straight Sectional crowns and hopes to land its third straight Top 10 finish and first-ever trophy in Bloomington on Saturday night. Fifth a year ago, six-time champion Lemont is a program that is defined by state titles, and the Sectional champion Indians could be poised to bring home hardware for the 13th time in 15 seasons. After missing the state field in 2016 and 2017, Sectional champ Vernon Hills is returning to state for the third year in a row and hopes to land its first Top 10 finish since 2012. Burlington Central (6th) Hampshire (8th), Highland (9th) and Grayslake North (10th) all return as well after placing in the Top 10 in 2019. Burlington Central has back-to-back Top 10 finishes under its belt, while Hampshire wants to return to podium for the firs time since winning state in 2015. Grayslake North is vying for its first Top 5 finish, while Highland, a program with two third-place trophies, ended a two-year Top 10 drought in 2019.
LARGE CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: None
15-Time Qualifiers: Sandburg
Sectional Champions: Lincoln-Way East (97.16); Huntley (94.97); Neuqua Valley (92.49); Sandburg (92.43); Stevenson (92.36)
Lincoln-Way East has been all or nothing on podium at state cheer, as all four trophies the Griffins have won in school history are of the first-place variety. Lincoln-Way East edged Marist for the state crown in 2019, marking the second consecutive runner-up finish for the perennial power from Chicago. Like Lincoln-Way East, Stevenson is another trophy team from a year ago that enters the weekend with the momentum of a Sectional championship. The Patriots have placed third the past two seasons and now have five Top 5 finishes in program history. Lincoln-Way West (4th) and Joliet West rounded out last year’s Top 5 at the state meet. Lincoln-Way West’s 2019 finish was its first in the Top 10 since 2015, while Joliet West is in the midst of an amazing run that includes state titles in 2016 and 2018, with a runner-up finish in between. Huntley has finished in the Top 10 in three of the past four seasons, and seeks its first state trophy after winning its Sectional on Saturday. Fellow Sectional champ Sandburg boasts one of the best resumes in the state, with three state championships among its six trophies. Neuqua Valley has now won back-to-back Sectional titles and will vie for its ninth consecutive Top 10 finish this weekend. Lincoln Way-Central (8th) and Harlem (9th) have both qualified for state again after placing in the Top 10 a year ago. After a nine-year state final drought, Lincoln Way-Central has now qualified in three consecutive seasons and last year’s Top 10 finish was the program’s first since 2008. Harlem made its first state final appearance just four years ago, and hasn’t missed the state tourney since.
COED CLASS
1st Time Qualifiers: None
15-Time Qualifiers: Conant, Grant, Lockport
Sectional Champions: Belvidere North (96.07); Buffalo Grove (94.84); Lockport (91.17); Fremd (90.03); Normal West (89.91)
When Elk Grove Village kicked off IHSA state cheer in 2006 by winning the first five state titles in the Coed Class, many assumed that mark would never be matched or broken. However, Belvidere North now has the state’s full attention after the program captured its third consecutive state championship a year ago. The Thunder show no signs of slowing down, as the team won its fifth consecutive Sectional crown last week. Plainfield South has taken a quick ascent from unknown to title contender. The program qualified for state just once in the tourney’s first 11 years. Since then, the Cougars finished ninth and fourth, before earning their first trophy last year as the runner-up. Grant has never missed the state final meet, and the program has now won back-to-back trophies after finishing third in 2019. South Elgin appears to be on a similar track, as the Storm have now finished in the Top 10 in three consecutive seasons, highlighted by the best finish (4th) in school history a year ago. A Sectional winner last Saturday, Buffalo Grove has won seven Sectional titles in the past nine years, and last year’s fifth-place finisher now looks to return to podium to hoist its seventh state trophy. Fremd and Normal West both enter the state finals on the heels of winning their first Sectional titles in program history. Both will look to shakeup the standings, as Fremd has never placed in the Top 10 and Normal West’s lone Top 10 came when the school finished eighth in 2001. Sixth in 2019, perennially power Lockport captured the final Sectional title in 2020. The Porters have a proud tradition that includes eight trophies and two state championships.
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TOURNAMENT HISTORY
15th annual State Series
14th year at Grossinger Motors Arena
SITE
Grossinger Motors Arena
Bloomington
Directions
Clear Bag Policy
HOST
Bloomington-Normal CVB
BN Sports Commission
SCHEDULE
Team-by-Team Schedules:
Prelims - Finals
Friday, February 7
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 8
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
Snapchat: IHSA_IL
OFFICIAL STATE FINAL
Gear from Minerva
Photos from VIP
IHSA Program
STATE SUPPORTERS
Country Financial
Wilson Sporting Goods
Gatorade
MaxPreps
Ross Athletic
UCA
Varsity Brands
HISTORY & RECORDS
2020 Sectional Results
Record Book & Past Champions
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