With improved routine, Erie-Prophetstown competitive cheer squad eager for sectional showcase

ERIE – Erie-Prophetstown competitive cheerleading coach Shauna DeBlieck said the team is ready to reveal the improvements it made this season.

E-P’s routine will be unveiled at halftime of the boys basketball game Friday.

“The routine we have right now is exciting and a higher difficulty than what we originally started with,” DeBlieck said.

Erie-Prophetstown competes at the Illinois High School Association sectional Saturday at Belvidere North High School. It is one of 16 teams in the sectional field in the small school enrollment class.

Cheerleading squads also compete in medium, large and co-ed classifications.

The routine starts with a cheer, then moves into the music portion where team members demonstrate their dancing, jumping, tumbling and stunting skills.

“We chose songs that are high energy and make you want to get up and dance,” DeBlieck said. The team has eight stunts planned, including a pyramid and basket tosses.

The competition roster includes Carin Bowser, Aaliyah Bailey, Kayleigh Neill, Madison Hill, Lily Willett, Neveah McElhiney, Dena Cox, Kate McConnell, Cassie Fleener, Charleigh Misfeldt and Brianna Goodhart.

Five teams in the small school class advance to state, which will be Feb. 3 and 4 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

1 of 7

Kate McConnell practices with her Erie-Prophetstown competitive cheer squad Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023 at Erie High School. The team is gearing up for sectional on Jan. 28, 2023. (Alex T. Paschal — apaschal@shawmedia.com/credit)

Oregon

The cheer team at Oregon also is in the small school field at Belvidere, along with Fulton and Byron.

Coaches Jody Mernack and Katleyn Mernack said the team members have worked to preserve the program through a lot of adversity. Some of those things are coaching changes, the COVID-19 pandemic and fluctuating numbers. They said team members juggle their participation with commitments to other sports teams and jobs.

Team members are Lariaha Hayes, Grace Eisenrich, Kaelin Shaffer, Keltie Champly, Taylor Weems, Alexis Ortega, Libby Patterson, Allysa Schefcik, Makena Barcai and Aubree Schefcik.

According to the IHSA website, Oregon last qualified for state in 2011.

Competitive cheerleading has been an IHSA sport since the 2005-06 school year.

Oregon High School's competitive cheerleading team. The competition roster includes Lariaha Hayes, Grace Eisenrich, Kaelin Shaffer, Keltie Champly, Taylor Weems, Alexis Ortega, Libby Patterson, Allysa Schefcik, Makena Barcai, and Aubree Schefcik. (Provided by )

Illinois High School Association

2023 activities

Chronological schedule

January

27-28:Competitive dance state.

28: Chess sectional.

28:Competitive cheerleading sectional.

February

3-4: Competitive cheerleading state.

4: Speech individual event regional.

10-11: Chess state tournament.

11: Speech individual event sectional.

17-18: Speech individual event state tournament.

March

4: Music: solo and ensemble state tournament.

6: Scholastic Bowl regionals.

11: Scholastic Bowl sectional.

16-18: Debate state tournament.

17-18: Drama sectional.

18: Scholastic Bowl state tournament.

24-25: Drama state tournament.

April

1: Journalism sectional.

14-15: Music: organizational state tournament.

21: Journalism state tournament.

22: esports sectional.

29: esports state tournament.

May

4: Bass fishing sectional.

19-20: Bass fishing state