After intense practices, long hours of tumbling, and a trip through hair and makeup, the time is here. The H-F cheerleading team is ready to take State.

The competition season has strict guidelines. Each school is only allotted 6 competitions, not including conference, sectionals, and State. The top five teams from every division will advance to State, depending on how the placed at their respective competitions.   

“Right now the cheerleading team looks like a team that is confident with their level of ability when performing their routine.  At our last invitational the team scored an 88% at Victor Andrew on Dec. 19 where we came in 1st place,” Head Coach Zenia Smith said. “Our goal is to continue to improve our raw score at each competition to help us advance to the State series.”

Coach Smith has very high hopes for the team. While she acknowledges that they have some very stiff competition, she has no doubt that her team will fare well in their competitions.

“Some of the best cheerleading teams in the state of Illinois are right here in our conference.  HF possess the same skills as most of teams and HF needs to be considered as one of the best teams in the state of Illinois as well,” Smith said.

Captain Meg Austin also has high hopes for her teammates. She talks about how her team has been preparing for competition season and how they work hard to encourage each other.

“We have been preparing for State since the beginning of the summer. Even though that was the football season, we still are always competing with ourselves and trying to improve ourselves,” Meg Austin said.

The cheerleading team has one of the longest, if not the longest, seasons at HF. While they enjoy basketball and football season, they agree that competition is their favorite season.

“The adrenaline you get from competing is unbeatable,” junior Tiara Jackson said.

The team has set exact goals for this competition season. They are determined to be ranked this year at State.

“I hope that this year at state, we make it to day two, top 10, which I think is very possible for us because we have a lot of potential and are working really hard towards that goal. We hope to be able to make it there,” Austin said. “Obviously, podium would be our ideal goal, but top 10 is something we are striving towards this year.”

The team will be heading to Sectionals this weekend and then it’s on to State for them. If you want to support the team, travel out to Joliet West.

“We don’t receive a lot of support from the student body and it would mean a lot if we had people cheering us on ,” Jackson said.