The senior-heavy Lyons Township High School competitive dance/poms team ended this season on an impressive note.
The Lions won the Lyrical/Contemporary and Open Pom state titles in the AAA Division at the Illinois Drill Team Association finals Feb. 10-11 in Springfield.
The victories contributed to the Lions also earning the high-point and Grand Champion awards with their combined 566 out of a possible 600 points between season-high totals in Lyrical/Contemporary (state-best 285 points) and Open Pom (281) out of 300 points each.
While the Lions have won multiple IDTA titles during Brittany Smith’s six seasons coaching the team, this was their best showing. The Lions were 22nd in Class 3A (83.47 out of 100 points) in their sixth consecutive trip to the IHSA state prelims Jan. 27 in Bloomington.
Team members are seniors Abigail Fix, Leah Mini, Zoe Mathis, Madison Niemiec, Liliana Obert, Gianna Ortega, Reilly Post, Audrey Schissler, Sarah Sedlacek, Madeleine Shorrock, Simryn Singh and Kaitlin Storey, juniors Keira Boyd, Mya Campbell, Isabella DiGuilio, Ana Micaella Gennett, Lola Hennessy, Kayla Lovelace, Riley McCarthy, Hallie Olenec and Olivia Rosenzweig, sophomores Anne Ketchum, Sydney Michalak and Brooke Walsh and freshmen Nora Foley, Hayden Frazier, Macy Niemiec and Elizabeth Shorrock. Annie Pinta is the assistant coach.
Riverside-Brookfield made its ITDA debut and finished eighth in AAA Lyrical/Contemporary. Team members are seniors Chloe Alexander, Elli Christiansen, Olivia Glawe and Grace Pankros, sophomores Maya Gonzalez, Sofia Lee and Anna Pinnick and freshmen Aubrey Agne, Isabella Kirsch, Sofia Miller, Liliana Nieto and Emelia Royer. The Bulldogs are coached by Madelyn Dall.
LTHS senior Calla Montana was 11th in Solo Flag
In the one-division junior varsity state finals, the Lions won Kick and were second in Jazz and finished second for Grand Champion.
This season, the Lions achieved another first under Smith. The varsity and JV both achieved qualifying scores for IDTA state at their first competition together, Dec. 3 at Gardner-South Wilmington.
