At ACHS, success in sports is almost a given. This is especially evident in the competitive cheerleading team. The highly coveted ACHS competitive varsity cheerleading team has six sectional championships, three conference titles, six state podium finishes, and a state championship. Due to the team being at such a high level, it takes a select group of people to fulfill these expectations to continue the legacy.
The cheerleaders recently underwent a tedious and nerve-wracking tryout process and only 17 out of 40+ athletes made varsity.
“The tryout process made me feel relaxed yet nervous,” junior Elle Luebke said. “When you stand up in front of 40 people trying to do your best skill possible it’s not the easiest thing.”
There are two seasons for cheerleading; sideline and competition season. This requires two separate tryouts in the spring and in the fall. The athletes are held to a higher standard at the competition season tryouts because of the competitive standard ACHS cheer abides by.
”A varsity cheerleader doesn’t stop when things get tough, you power through. Illinois cheerleading is very competitive and if you’re not leaving everything on the mat, you’re doing it wrong,” junior Jennifer Serifov said.
The team always has obstacles to overcome such as last-minute changes and working together cohesively which is why athletes are carefully selected. Each season they are looking to achieve the goal of a state championship. Look out for the ACHS varsity cheerleaders on December 10, 2023, at Stevenson High School as they compete in their first competition of the 2023-24 season.
