Lemont Cheerleading Sits Atop Leaderboard After First Day of IHSA State Finals

Lemont High School’s cheerleading program has won four IHSA Medium Division State Championships in the last six years, and it is in position to win its fifth state title. Head coach Dave Erlenbaugh’s Indians paced the field on the first day of the 2015 IHSA Medium Division Cheerleading State Finals, posting the top score of all 25 teams in their division and putting them in position for another state championship. The squad will compete in the event’s final round on Saturday, February 7, at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Ill.

Lemont’s preliminary-round score of 88.87 ranked a full point ahead of second-place Tinley Park (87.87). Hampshire (87.77), Stillman Valley (87.27) and Highland (86.53) rounded out the top five. Grayslake Central (86.03), Columbia (85.53), Triad (85.47), Mascoutah (85.10) and Lincoln-Way West (85.10) also qualified for the final round.

The finals for the Medium Division will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, with the awards ceremony scheduled to follow at 12:45 p.m. Lemont is scheduled to compete at 12:05 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).

Erlenbaugh’s team includes seniors Easton Kral, Reann Kwasneski, Elly Lambert, Nicole Markley, Stephanie Markley, Kayly Norris, Brianna Olkiewicz, Samantha Palumbo, Jenna Polk and Samantha Walus; juniors Taylor Biggs, Nicole Clausius, Erin Cliff, Paige Murphy, Katelyn Papierski, Paola Prado, Jaclyn Rachanski, Kristin Ramski, Taylor Sambucci and Taryn Tate; and sophomore Caitlyn Henry.

Lemont’s cheerleading squad is one of only two athletic programs in school history to win an IHSA team state championship, having done so in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014. The Indians also finished as state runners-up in 2007, 2008 and 2013, and brought home third-place trophies in 2006 and 2012. Lemont’s baseball team is the other program that has won a team state title, having captured the 2014 IHSA Class 3A State Championship.

Lemont qualified for the 2015 IHSA State Finals by placing fourth in its division at the IHSA Joliet West Sectional on January 31. The Indians won their second straight South Suburban Conference title earlier this season.

Cheerleading is the fifth Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. The girls’ cross country team was fourth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; the football team was the IHSA Class 6A State Runner-Up; the boys’ golf team tied for ninth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; and freshman Alex Knutte competed at the IHSA Girls’ Swimming State Finals.