Lincoln-Way West’s competitive dance program achieves its best finish in school history, taking second place in the state finals. The team, who had previously qualified for state 11 times, had only brought home a third-place trophy in 2015. However, they doubled their success this year, impressively scoring a 94.12 in the Illinois High School Association Class 2A state finals. The Warriors finished just behind state champion Lake Forest, who scored a 98.02.
Melissa Sweeney, the coach of the Lincoln-Way West Warriors, expressed her immense pride in the team’s accomplishment. She commended the 24 members of the varsity dance team for their unwavering commitment, work ethic, and constant focus on improvement. This year, the team was able to secure the conference and sectional titles, further solidifying their position as one of the top competitors in the state.
Lincoln-Way Central, another local school, also participated in the Class 2A finals, securing the eleventh spot. In Class 1A, Providence took fifth place with an impressive score of 88.52, while Jacksonville emerged victorious with a score of 90.70. Among Class 3A schools, Andrew finished eleventh, with Stevenson clinching the first-place title with a score of 96.34.
In a separate sporting event, the state bowling meet held at St. Clair Lanes in O’Fallon did not see any of the Southland Your Times area teams advancing to the second day. However, Lincoln-Way Central junior Austin Cetwinski put up a remarkable performance, securing seventh place individually with a score of 2,616 over 12 games. Charlie Hunt from Rockton Hononegah claimed the individual title with a score of 2,767. Central freshman Jacob Rob also participated, finishing in the 49th spot with a score of 2,397.
On the cheerleading front, Lincoln-Way East emerged as the front-runner, winning the Knoxville Sectional with a score of 95.82, thus initiating their defense of the large-team competitive cheerleading title. Lincoln-Way West and Lincoln-Way Central secured the third and fourth positions, respectively, and successfully qualified for the state meet scheduled for February 2-3. Sandburg and Andrew also qualified for the state competition, securing second and fourth places, respectively, in the large-team division at the Hinsdale South Sectional. Providence Catholic achieved third place in the medium-team division, with a score of 90.47.
In the emerging sport of girls’ wrestling, Andrew claimed victory at the Shepard Regional with a total of 195.5 points. Their remarkable performance narrowly beat West Aurora, who secured 191 points. Individual champions for the Thunderbolts were Sophia Figueroa in the 115-pound category and Alyssa Keane in the 140-pound category. Gracie Guarino from Lincoln-Way Central also attained first place in the 115-pound category at the Minooka Sectional, while Tinley Park’s Simone Standlifer became a regional champion in the 130-pound category at the Curie Regional.
The Lincoln-Way West Warriors’ competitive dance team has seen consistent improvement over the years, culminating in this momentous achievement. With their second-place finish, they now join the ranks of the top competitors in Class 2A state dance finals. From their previous tenth-place finish in 2013 to this remarkable achievement in 2024, the team’s dedication, hard work, and perseverance have paid off, and their success is truly one for the history books.
Disclaimer: All information in this article is subject to change as it is based on the details provided at the time of writing.
