Ottawa High School‘s Sophie Fernandez takes 2nd at IDTA state

It is a special moment when the talented, dedicated performer surprises even herself with where her performance takes her.

Sophie Fernandez, a 17-year-old senior at Ottawa High School, admits to being just a little surprised when her effort netted her second place in the solo dance competition at the Illinois Drill Team Association’s 45th annual State Finals on Feb. 10 at the Bank of Springfield Convention Center in Springfield.

Fernandez was one of 15 finalists who are scored for their performance, but not told of their ranking until the awards ceremony at the end of the day when the top three in several team and individual categories are announced.

After the name of the third-place finisher, Highland’s Bayla Fitterer, was read late that night, Fernandez was next, drawing a very excited response from her.

The only one finishing higher was Hinsdale South’s Reese Baughman.

“It definitely was a surprise,” Fernandez said. “I went into it wanting to do well, but I didn’t expect that high of a placement. It was really a great feeling and a great experience, for sure.”

Fernandez, who has been involved in dance since she was 2 years old and started competing at age 6, soon followed her friends and relatives into the latter aspect of the sport, and it wasn’t long before she began doing her own choreography.

Helping her refine her skills at the Adagio School of the Performing Arts in Ottawa were the owner/dance teacher Rachel Martin and her coach, Alaina Weatherford.

Fernandez developed a contemporary-style dance, combining her favorites ballet and contemporary, found time to practice it during her team season for a month before using it to earn first place in a “Start The Beat” competition in Bloomington in early October. That gave her an automatic berth in the state finals.

In Springfield, she first had to beat out 50 total soloists in the Friday night preliminaries to make the top 15 doing their thing in Saturday’s finals.

“There was this big ramp that we had to walk up that was kinda intimidating,” she said with a chuckle. “Before I perform, I like to get away and just collect my thoughts, but in the prelims, I stayed out and watched the others after my performance. I was kinda nervous, but I had my coaches with me to keep me calm, keep me distracted.

“I told myself that it was a nice accomplishment to be there, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t do well, but it was a pretty good performance, nothing to complain about. I was happy with it … Then I had to wait, but it was worth it when they called my name. The girls who got first deserved it. She was amazing, but I guess I missed her by one point. That hurt, but I was really excited and honored to be so close to her score.”

Fernandez, who gave up playing softball to pursue dance and hopes to dance in college while majoring in marketing, said if she had it to do over again, she might change one small part to get back that point.

However, she admitted it was one of her best dances ever.

“It was a great experience for me, it really was,” Fernandez said. “I’ll never forget it.”