Lemont Cheerleading Extends State Record With 21st Straight State Finals Appearance

LEMONT, IL — Head coach Bree Grady-Simpson’s Lemont High School cheerleading squad extended its state-record streak of state finals appearances to 21 years when it competed at the 2026 IHSA Class 2A Cheerleading State Finals, which were contested at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Feb. 6-7, LHS shared in a news release.

Lemont placed 24th in the preliminary round with a score of 85.10 and did not advance to the final round.

Grady-Simpson’s team includes seniors Samantha DuVall, Ella Phelan, Morgan Sadelski and Victoria Swanstrom; juniors Hailey Borner, Emma Federovich, Allyson Fluder, Natalie Oprondek and Melanie Wallace; sophomores Emma Schrimpl and Sabrina Tavolino; and freshmen Ellasyn Berndt, Emma Betley, Holly Borner, Kyla Church, Zianna Schneider, Aleksa Tomala and Alexandra Tselios.

The school said Lemont (95.93) earned its 21st straight IHSA State Finals berth by winning the IHSA Reavis Sectional on Jan. 31. Oak Forest (94.72), Evergreen Park (90.50), Fenwick (89.13), Brooks (88.97) and St. Laurence (88.97) also advanced to the state finals from the sectional.

Lemont won the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division championship earlier this season.

Lemont’s cheerleading squad is one of only four athletic programs in school history to win an IHSA team state championship, having previously done so in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2024 and 2025. Lemont finished as the state runner-up in 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016, 2021 and 2023, and brought home third-place trophies in 2006 and 2012.

The most decorated cheerleading program in state history, Lemont is joined by Conant, Lockport, Oak Forest and Sandburg as the only programs to advance to the IHSA State Finals each year since the IHSA State Series began in 2006, according to LHS. Its 16 state trophies are the most in the history of the IHSA State Series for cheerleading, as are its 20 top ten finishes.