Warrior dance team places 2nd at state

Mya Bills and the Lincoln-Way West dance team perform their competitive dance routine on Friday at the IHSA state finals on Friday. The Warriors advanced to Day 2 competition in fourth place on their way to the 2024 runner-up title. See more photos below.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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BLOOMINGTON - After finishing the first day of competition in fourth place, Lincoln-Way West's 24-member strong dance turned up the heat on Day 2 at Grossinger Motors Arena to finish second in the Class 2A division at the Illinois High School Association's Competitive State Dance Finals on Saturday. Receiving a 93.26 and qualifying for the championship round on Friday, the orange and black-cladded Warriors improved their score by nearly one point to 94.12.

The runner-up Warrior team includes Kaylee Towson Aldridge, Amber Graves, Ava Swidergal, Candise Battin, Ella Stahulak, McKenna Redican, Elena Ciabattari, Elora Maletich, Keira Loranger, Sadie Smith, Mackenna Woltman, Liky Grude, Lindsey Dust, Kylie Smith, Chloe Sall, Isabel Kostecki, Jenna Cronk, Mya Bills, Leah Young, Aubree McElree, Kiera Grimmett, Sadie Lazzari, Ryan Borrelli, and Amanda Garbaciak. Lincoln-Way West is coached by Melissa Sweeney with assistants Ashely Hon and Kelly Sabo at her side.

The Warriors' routine finished behind the lyrical performance by this year's championship team from Lake Forest. The Scouts tallied the best score across all three classes finishing with an impressive 98.02 from judges.

Rounding out the top three places, Geneva captured their 11th consecutive state trophy with a third-place finish. The Vikings, who earned a 92.72 score on Saturday, have consistently finished in the 2A top three since 2014.

Advancing to the finals third after the first round of performances, Lake Zurich (91.88) closed out the IHSA season in fourth place. The Bears dance squad was less than a point from capturing the program's seventh state dance trophy.

Vernon Hills (90.77) was fifth in the final standings, followed by Burlington Central (90.32), St. Charles North (90.12) in sixth place, and Deerfield (88.18), who finished as the 8th-best team in the state after both days of competition.

Meanwhile, Chicago Jones finished in ninth place with an 87.12. Grant High School (86.06) was tenth, Lincoln-Way Central earned an 84.68, good for 11th place, and Crystal Lake Central was awarded an 84.34 by judges in the season finale.

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Editorial |Roll Over, Honest Abe

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Lake Forest delivers impressive performance for Class 2A dance title

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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BLOOMINGTON - Lake Forest's moving interpretive presentation was the 18th of 24 performances on Saturday. Like every year, the field of competition was tremendous, and the Scouts Dance Team overwhelmingly impressed the judging crew, earning the Class 2A division's top score of 98.02.

This year's Scouts include Bianca Storino, Rachel Silvers, Alana Tennett, Ellery Newman, Maddie Van Nuys, Hadleigh Deegan, Lyla Carney, Kate Westerman, Blakely Rice, Reese Harper, Amelia Hansen, Finley Karr, Grace Clark, Josie Irvin, Sophia Brincat, Mia Konkel, Camille Brincat, and Madeleine Axus. Lake Forest was led to the finals by head coach Angela McNicholas with the help of assistant Ashley Nash.

Nearly four points behind this year's state champions, Lincoln-Way West (94.12), who finished fourth with their hip-hop routine after Friday's preliminary round, was crowned this year's runner-up squad. Making their fifth consecutive state appearance, the Warrior's dynamic performance and precise execution yielded a second-place finish.

Geneva took home their 11th consecutive state trophy after finishing third with a score of 92.72. The Vikings program has consistently finished in the top three since 2014.

Placing third after the first round of performances, Lake Zurich (91.88) closed out the IHSA season in fourth place. The Bears dance squad was less than a point from capturing the program's seventh state dance trophy.

Vernon Hills (90.77) was fifth in the final standings, followed by Burlington Central (90.32), St. Charles North (90.12) in sixth place, and Deerfield (88.18), who finished as the 8th best team in the state after both days of competition.

Meanwhile, Chicago Jones finished in ninth place with an 87.12. Grant High School (86.06) was tenth, Lincoln-Way Central earned an 84.68, good for 11th place, and Crystal Lake Central was awarded an 84.34 by judges in the season finale.

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Editor's Note: Our original story stated, "The Warriors, making their fifth consecutive state appearance, were last year's class 2A champions." This was incorrect. LWW qualified for state last year but missed the cut for the second day of competition as the story now states. We apologize for the error.

Jacksonville J'ettes win back-to-back state titles

Members of the Jacksonville High School dance team perform at the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals on Friday. The J'ettes went on to win this year's state title beating squads from Morris, Highland and nine other teams that advanced to Day 2 competition.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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BLOOMINGTON - Jacksonville dance head coach Tiffany Hickox and her dance team have done it again. Outscoring the perennial small school dance powerhouse Morris by a mere five-hundredths of a point, the J'ettes took home their second-consecutive state dance title on Saturday after two days of competition at Grossinger Motors Arena.

Members of this year's championship troupe include Lauren Deen, Greta Bryson-Adams, Lily Hickox, Charlotte Brockhouse, Emma Wolters, Kylie Chumley, Hailey Weeks, Elizabeth Stremming, Samantha Lawson, Lindsey Hautala, Jacey Evans, and Kimmy Davis. The team is managed by Lily Rohlk and Marley VanAken.

Morris, who has finished runner-up six times and won one title in the past eight years prior to this weekend, could not sway the judges, earning yet another second-place state trophy, finishing with a score of 89.96.

Carmel High School (89.44) and Joliet Catholic Academy (89.01) finished third and fourth, respectively. Providence Catholic(88.52), who was in xplace after the first day of competition finished in x place. Marion (6th) and Highland (7th) round out the top seven places out of 30 dance programs, earning scores of 87.34 and 85.44 respectively.

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This story was updated 1/29/25 with updated scores and standings. The original story inadvertenely used results from the previous year. We apologize for the error.

3 ways business executives can benefit from yoga and meditation

Photo: Elina Fairytale/PEXELS

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BPT - The business world can be a stressful place. When working as a business executive, you can feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a leader in a world that requires relentless multitasking and decision-making. Inevitably, you'll feel burnt out.

While you may not be able to eliminate all the responsibilities and stressors in your life, you can incorporate mindfulness practices to help you better manage your thoughts and emotions. For example, practicing yoga and meditation can help you find moments of calm and clarity even on the most hectic workday. Check out these three benefits of yoga and meditation that can help business executives thrive and become better leaders.

1. Reduce stress

Stress is an ever-present co-worker for many executives. Between deadlines, managing teams and making important decisions, you can feel like you're in a constant state of tension. Integrating yoga and meditation practices into your routine can help you reduce stress. Even just a few minutes a day can make a huge difference.

According to the American Psychological Association, researchers have found that mindfulness meditation changes a person's brain and biology to improve mental and physical health. Whether you practice breathing exercises, yoga or a guided session, mindfulness meditation can help you reduce and manage stress at home and in the office.

2. Improve focus

Yoga and meditation are a great way to improve your focus. By focusing on your breath and the task at hand, whether it's a yoga position or a meditative mantra, you can clear your mind. Without the mental clutter, you can see the big picture clearly, allowing you to make strategic decisions that benefit your team.

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This improved focus isn't just a result of relieving stress and settling your mind. It can actually change the way your brain works. According to University Health News, researchers have found that yoga can greatly affect neural patterns in the brain, improving your ability to concentrate and focus. The next time you find yourself stuck on a problem or unable to concentrate on a project or proposal, take a few minutes to do a quick yoga flow or five-minute meditation.

3. Enhance leadership skills

To be an effective and inspiring leader, it takes more than smarts. Great business executives and managers must also have high emotional intelligence (EI), that is, the ability to monitor your own and others' feelings and emotions and use that information to guide your decisions.

While some people are naturally gifted with EI, you can build this skill and improve your leadership skills through mindfulness practices. According to a study published in the IIMB Management Review Journal, practicing yoga and yogic meditation can enhance someone's EI and improve managerial performance. Add yoga and meditation to your managerial toolbox and see how improving your EI changes your managerial style and positively impacts your projects and team members.

Start or deepen your practice to thrive

These are just three of the many benefits of yoga and meditation. By investing in your mental and emotional health through yoga and meditation, you can become a more effective business leader while balancing your work and personal life.

Whether you're new to yoga and meditation or want to deepen your practice, check out the teachings of practitioners like Keiko Aikawa's Himalayan Siddha Meditation workshop.

Aikawa is known as the "Yogmata," a supreme Himalayan saint who has reached the final stage of yoga and meditation called "samadhi" (equivalent to nirvana in Buddhism). She is the first female saint in history to reach samadhi.

Her books "108 Teachings," "Empty Your Mind and Achieve Your Dreams," and "The Road to Enlightenment" are great resources for developing and deepening your yoga and meditation practices.

You can also attend her upcoming workshop in New York and learn her teachings and breathwork firsthand. To learn more, visit yogmata.net/en_darshan.

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