SJO Cheer qualifies for ICCA state championships

FARMINGTON - On Saturday, the St. Joseph-Ogden competitive cheer team qualified for the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches State Cheer Competition on January 6- 7 at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield. The Spartan cheer squad finished seventh out of 16 teams at the Farmington Invitational on Saturday.

Madelyn George and Spartan cheerleaders lead fans in a cheer during a timeout at the Toyota of Danville Classic basketball tournament earlier this month. On Saturday, the cheer team qualified for the ICCA state championships in January.

Photo: PhotoNews Media

"I’m very excited for this team to experience ICCA Championships," said St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Emily Wise. "Many of the cheerleaders have never competed before. The team has put in a lot of work in and out of practice."

Wise is happy with her team's accomplishment, especially considering their youth and lack of experience. Their over-all work ethic and practice culture have paid its first of many dividends. Five freshmen and five juniors make up the 10-girl squad.

"They have spent countless hours at practice and pushed themselves to a new level these past couple of weeks. I’m so proud their hard work paid off this past weekend," Wise said.

The team will be working even harder for a successful performance in Springfield next month. There are a few things they will be working on to be competitive with the veteran programs they will cheer against.

"The team will be perfecting their current skills as well as growing new skills. Such as stronger motions, louder voices, and added difficulty," Wise said."

Members of the squad include juniors Addison Funk, Madelyn George, Samantha Uden, Charley Wright, and Ava Worley. The remainder of the squad are all freshmen, which includes Iris Davis, Leah Gaines, Faith Jackson, Peighton Reim, and Ava Smoot.

"SJO Cheer has come such a long way since the beginning of the year," Wise added. "This is such a talented team and I can’t wait to see what all they accomplish this season."

Farmington Invitational Results
Small School Varsity Division

 1st Knoxville
 2nd New Berlin
 3rd Oakwood
 4th Salt Fork
 5th Farmington
 6th Illini Bluff
 7th St. Joseph-Ogden
 8th Brimfield
 9th Monmouth-Roseville
10th Eureka
11th ROWVA Williamsfield
12th Sherrard
13th Williamsville
14th Abingdon-Avon
15th St. Thomas More
16th Prairie Central

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Competitive cheerleading tryouts will be held October 28

Tryouts for the St. Joseph-Ogden competitive cheerleading team will be held on October 28 from 6 to 8pm at the high school. The Spartan cheer team is a coed team that cheers at all boys basketball games and will compete against other cheer squads from around the state hoping to win an Illinois High School Association state title.

Cheerleaders help lead SJO fans in a cheer during a home game against Pleasant Plains in January. Spartan cheerleaders attended every game, home and on the road, to help keep team and fan morale high. Members selected for the competition squad also compete to qualify the state finals held in January. (Photo: PhotoNews Media Archives)

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Head coach Jonathon Lackey says the he is looking for 12 to 16 students for the sideline team and seven to 12 for the competition team.

"As a coach I not only look for certain skills such as tumbling and stunting, I also look for someone who is driven," said Lackey. "I want cheerleaders who represent SJO in a positive manner, someone who will bring a great experience to games and events. Our top priority is to cheer games and support SJO athletics."

Lackey believes cheerleaders are important to the overall game experience and keep fans actively supporting players and the team throughout the season.

"It's our job to get the crowd involved to support the team. We bring a fun aspect to games," he said. "At games you need someone who is a leader to help get the crowd involved and excited, that's where we come in."

Keely McCorkle cheers during the Spartans' home game against Unity in January. Representing SJO in a positive manner is one of the roles cheerleaders have in addition to encouraging fans to show their support at games. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The IHSA added a competitive cheerleading state series at the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year. St. Joseph-Ogden has qualified twice since then, once under the guidance of Nancy Olson in 2007 and last year under Lackey.

While training, performing and competing against elite teams from around the state, Lackey says cheerleaders serve a more significant role.

"I think it's also important to have a team that acts as ambassadors for the school in a positive manner," he explained. "That's where cheerleaders can succeed the most and become an important part of a game."

For more information contact Coach Lackey via email at lackeyj@sjo.k12.il.us. Follow this year's squad on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sjocheerleading/. Students interested in joining this year's squad can pick up tryout packets in the main office at the high school.