Marist High School's varsity cheerleading team was the state runner-up in the Illinois High School Association large division finals for the second straight year. The competition was held February 1 and 2 in Bloomington, Ill. Marist was one of only two Catholic schools in the top 25 teams in the large division and the only one to advance to the top ten.
On Saturday, February 2 the RedHawks performed flawlessly as they thrilled the packed arena. The team was overjoyed when Marist was announced as the second place team in the state. Less than one point separated them from the first place team, Lincoln-Way East. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire took third.
“Knowing what it was going to take from the prior year really set the tone for all of our practices, our mindset, and at competitions,” head coach Jordan Miller said of returning to the state finals. “It truly pushed us to be the best version of ourselves. The girls knew that the climb to the top was difficult, but staying at the top was going to be a true test of character.”
The team had a couple of errors in the preliminary round on Friday night that Miller said ended up fueling the team in the final round. Senior Jhadia Adams agreed, saying, “We knew we advanced to finals for a reason and we were going to leave everything on the mat and have no regrets.”
Marist’s program has garnered great success in the past decade. Marist finished second in state in 2018. In 2015, the team finished in fifth place. The team nabbed a third place finish in 2014. In 2013, the team took home the state runner-up trophy. The program also won a state title in the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) before it was an IHSA sport.
Congratulations to Coach Jordan Miller, his staff, the student-athletes, and parents!
Check out their sectional routine: