After weeks of hard work, preparation, and commitment, the cheer team will be competing in the state competition this weekend in Bloomington, Illinois.

Varsity killed their performance last weekend at sectionals after scoring 86 points, putting them behind Grayslake Central and Wauconda.

“With all the injuries we have, we had to change the routine a lot. We worked on being more positive and cooperative with each other; it really helped us overcome the hard obstacles we were faced with.” said sophomore Miranda Karellas.

Junior Alexa Castino has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman year. She believes the team will pull out the energy and execution they had at sectionals this weekend at state.

“At sectionals, we had minor issues, such as synchronization, loud voices, and overall performance aspect. Together, these elements added up to a major impact on our score.” said Castino. “We are trying to cherish every moment and not take this weekend for granted.”

Practice for the girls has been focused on pushing more emotion into their cheers and sticking to Antioch tradition. With the beginning of their season being rough due to injuries, it has been difficult for the team to improve skills and maintain confidence.

Hopes are high as the road to state continues and it’s time to leave everything on the mat.