The Sentinel

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

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.

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

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.

Photo: Avelino Calvar Martinez/Burst

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.