Lemont's Dance Squad Headed Back to IHSA State Finals

After a year’s hiatus, Lemont High School’s Dance program is heading back to state finals competition. Head coach Jordan Fandrey’s squad finished third at one of two IHSA Class 2A Sectionals at Andrew High School on January 23. That effort earned the Indians a berth to the 2016 IHSA Class 2A Competitive Dance State Finals, which will be contested on Friday, January 29, and Saturday, January 30, at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Ill.

Lemont’s third-place finish in sectional competition is its best since Competitive Dance became an IHSA-sponsored sport during the 2012-13 school year. The Indians’ score of 87.43 trailed only IHSA Sectional Champion Oak Forest (93.13) and Eisenhower (89.53). Tinley Park (85.73), Hinsdale South (82.00) and Bremen (81.73) also qualified for state finals competition from Lemont’s sectional. The top six teams from each sectional advance to the IHSA State Finals.

The preliminary rounds for Class 2A will begin at 3:15 p.m. on Friday; Lemont is scheduled to perform at 3:59 p.m. The top ten teams from each classification will move on to the second day of competition. Class 2A’s final round will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with the awards ceremony scheduled to follow at 3:45 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) each session.

Fandrey’s team includes seniors Hannah Freese, Kayla Halter, Marisa Marseille, Aurora Slivinski, Chloe Szot and Chloe Wojtowicz; juniors Gabriella Marzano, Mira Antonopoulos Brooke Bulanda, Emie Choquette, Kirstin Cwik, Megan Dzimira, Madison Filippini, Teja Johnson, Emily Kirkolis, Aidan Korte and Melissa Moravek; sophomores Sydney Bronner and Samantha Wrobel; and freshman Rachel Rumbaugh.

Lemont made its first IHSA State Finals appearance in 2014, when it finished 23rd of 30 teams. The program previously had success in the TEAMDance Illinois State Championship and Illinois Dance Team Association State Finals. Lemont’s best finish ever in state competition came in 1996, when it was third in the Class AA Novelty category at the IDTA State Finals.

Competitive Dance is the fifth Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. The girls’ cross country team competed at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; the boys’ golf team qualified for the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; Maggie Micetich competed in the IHSA Class AA Girls’ Golf State Finals; and Grace Horky, Ashley Mathews and Gabby Rabianski all competed in the IHSA Girls’ Tennis State Finals.