Marist High School Cheer Team Wins Second At IHSA Finals

Photo Courtesy of the Beverly-Mount Greenwood Patch

For the second year in a row, Marist High School’s varsity cheerleading team won second place in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) large division finals. The competition was held at the beginning of this month in Bloomington, Ill.

According to the Beverly-Mount Greenwood Patch website, Marist High School was the only Catholic school to advance to the top ten teams.

The RedHawks performed on the second day of competition and were announced as the second place team. Lincoln-Way East won first, while Stevenson High School took third.

Marist High School alumna Gina Iraci said, “Even though I graduated from Marist a few years ago, it is still a great feeling to see that they are doing so well. I am really impressed with our cheerleading team and cannot wait to see what happens next year. I feel like a proud mom and cannot imagine how some of my other classmates feel.”

According to the Beverly-Mount Greenwood Patch website, head cheerleading coach Jordan Miller said, “Knowing what it was going to take from the prior year really set the tone for all of our practices, our mindset, and at competitions.” She continued, “It truly pushed us to be the best version of ourselves. The girls knew that the climb to the top was difficult, but staying at the top was going to be a true test of character."

To qualify for the IHSA competition, the team took fifth at the highly competitive sectional at Andrew High School, according to www.marist.net.

In previous years, the Marist High School cheerleading team has done fairly well according to the Beverly-Mount Greenwood Patch website. They finished in fifth place in 2015, third place in 2014, and second place in 2013. The program also won a state title in the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association before cheerleading was considered an IHSA sport.