Lemont Finishes Second At IHSA Cheerleading State Finals

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School’s cheerleading team finished as the state runner-up at the 2023 IHSA Medium Division Cheerleading State Finals, which were contested at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Feb. 3-4, the school shared in a news release. Head coach Bree Grady’s squad won its first state trophy since 2021.

With the sixth state runner-up finish in program history, Lemont pushed its state record streak of top five state finals finishes to 18 seasons, and improved upon its own state record by earning its 14th state trophy, according to LHS.

Lemont was tops among 25 teams in its division after the first day of competition thanks to its score of 93.93 in the preliminary round. In the final round, Lemont improved upon its preliminaries effort and posted a score of 95.03.

Oak Forest (97.67) won its third state title, while Antioch (92.23) placed third.

Grady’s team includes seniors Reese Dunbar, Abigail Nagel, Sydney Nelson, Francesca Rita, Taylor Tomczak and Hunter Wilson; juniors Fawne Ford and Avaree Taylor; sophomores Jordan Cryer, Ella Johnson-Pawlak, Emma Lagan, Grace Markun, Ella Mierzwa, Tessa Preuss, Kelsey Schmidt, Molly Wallace and Ashley Wrublik; and freshmen Ella Phelan and Victoria Swanstrom.

Lemont (90.90) earned its 18th straight IHSA State Finals berth by placing third at the IHSA Bradley-Bourbonnais sectional on Jan. 28; and Lemont captured its second straight South Suburban Conference-Blue Division title, and its sixth SSC Blue crown overall, earlier this season, the school said.

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

Lemont also has won seven IHSA Sectional titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2018, 2020, 2022) and five SSC Blue crowns (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023).

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, the school said.