The large senior class of the Riverside Brookfield High School competitive cheerleading team faced many new experiences this season. At the Rolling Meadows Sectional Saturday, the Bulldogs had to compete in the large division, based on school enrollments rather than the medium division like years past.
“The change from medium to large division has posed some challenges. We compete against schools that are double and triple the size of RB,” said second-year RBHS coach Tricia Schroeder. “We only competed with 12 athletes against some schools who competed with 20.”
The Bulldogs finished 13th in their large division group (68.97). They needed a top-five to advance to the state meet. Team members are seniors Isabella Arreola, Genevieve DiNatale, Logan Hoyd, Kamryn Koehnen, Mae Melidis, Allison Prochaska, Bridget Roudebush and Aiden Smith, junior Natalie Torres, sophomores Lilah Finkle and Saraii Lopez, and freshmen Brooklyn Delgado and Alexa Maciejewski.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Cheerleaders perform during halftime of their game against Lyons Township Jan. 26, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Mikayla Biggerstaff and the rest of the Cheerleaders perform during halftime of their game against Lyons Township Friday, January 26, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Logan Hoyd and the rest of the Cheerleaders perform during halftime of their game against Lyons Township Friday, January 26, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Logan Hoyd performs a backflip during halftime of their game against Lyons Township Friday, January 26, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston
Schroeder coaches the team with junior varsity coach Lauren Vara and volunteer assistant McKenzie Sopoci.
Co-captains Rodenbush and Smith, Arreola, Hoyd, Koehnen and Prochaska returned from last year’s competitive lineup. The cheerleaders still have their Senior Night halftime performance on Feb. 13.
“The end to every season is emotional, but when more than half of the team is a graduating senior. You feel it a bit more,” Schroeder said. “It is a bittersweet feeling. They are moving onto bigger and better things, but a chapter in their life is closing at the same time.”
The Bulldogs gained seven points in their raw score between their first competition and the Metro Suburban Conference Meet, where Rodenbush and Koehnen received individual all-conference honors.
“There has been tremendous growth from the start to the end of the season,” Schroeder said. “Not only did their skills improve but so did their confidence. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t our year [at sectionals].”
Lyons Township/Nazareth
The Lions earned their third straight state trip by taking third in the co-ed division (90.17) at the Hinsdale South Sectional Saturday.
Team members are seniors: Samantha Borkowski, Frannie Chevalier, Tommy Chyna, Ally Colantuono, Charlotte Judy, Val Kleier, Grace Maciag, Jillyan Martinez, Ashley Mills, Molly Peake, Sadie Rintz, Emily Roberts, Mia Schlichter, Will Taylor, Ella Thornberg, juniors Maddie Brennan, Meg Gray, Grace Lannon, Devon MacKenzie, Melissa Marquez, Annie Sarno and Katie Villarreal and freshmen Averie Grigus, Hayden Livingston, Audreya Wilkins and Aleigh Zeman.
These are the only state trips in program history for the Lions, who were 22nd at state in 2023 (83.47). This is the second season for coaches Sharon Lupo and Ana Samaniego.
Nazareth (84.70) finished seventh in the sectional’s medium division.