Feb. 26, 2024 - The U-46 Board of Education will honor the South Elgin High School Co-Ed Varsity Cheer Team on Monday for being named champions at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Cheerleading State Finals.
The team, composed of 24 students from all grade levels, ranked first among 25 co-ed finalist groups in the state championships held in Bloomington on Feb. 2-3, 2024. The other categories were small team, medium team, and large team. It’s a repeat championship for SEHS, which also won the co-ed division in 2020.
In celebration of their win, a gathering to welcome the team’s bus home from the state tournament was held on the Sunday night they returned. The team was honored at halftime of the SEHS boys basketball game on Feb. 6. There was also an all-school assembly to recognize the team and showcase the state trophy. Students and staff viewed the cheer team’s winning routine on an overhead screen.
Head coach Savannah Bennett said the team members had a special bond, and all focused on how they could support their teammates.
“Cheerleading is a physically demanding sport, and they trained hard all season. When we mixed in the mentality work, it allowed us to practice and perform at a higher level,” she said. “Seeing their months of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice pay off is something I will never forget. I hope when our athletes look back on this moment, they are proud of themselves for what they accomplished, together as a team.”
The students being honored are: sophomore Sophia Catania, junior Kyra Clark, freshman Kirsten Cones, junior Taylor Davis, junior Bryan Estrada, junior Adriana Jimenez, senior Maya Jovanovic, freshman Hunter Lindsay, sophomore Kaelyn Lindsay, junior Adelyn Logsdon, junior Bridget Lucas, senior Isabella Meloun, sophomore Isabella Napoles, junior Nevaeh Poole, sophomore Kylie Rogowski, junior Aubriunna Rosa, junior Emma Salazar, sophomore Stella Shah, senior Katie Solis, sophomore Emma Marie Steinhofer, junior Morgan Stokes, sophomore Paige Vargas, junior Stewart Williams, Jr., and junior Greta Zelaitis. The team was coached by head coach Savannah Bennett and assistant coaches Kathryn Ciolli and Savannah Swayze.
The “Accent on Achievement” certificates will be presented to Bennett and the 24 students on the co-ed cheer team at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, in room 140 of the Educational Services Center. The U-46 Board of Education meeting will also be streamed live on the District’s YouTube channel and via Zoom.
