Lemont Hornet Cheerleaders Place Third in State

The Hornet varsity cheerleaders took third place this weekend at the Illinois Recreational Cheerleading Association state championship.

More than 100 youth recreational teams competed at IRCA-sanctioned events over the past month to earn bids to the championship,which was held Saturday and Sunday at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates.

The Hornets — composed of girls in sixth, seventh and eighth grade — placed third out of 13 teams. This year marks the first time the squad has taken home a trophy at the state competition.

In October, all four of the organizations' cheerleading teams — superlight, lightweight, junior varsity and varsity — earned bids to the IRCA championship by placing first at the Junior Mustang Round-Up competition in Wheeling.

The varsity squad — coached by Hornets Cheerleading Director Lisa Steck, Jymi Pukula and Betty Dawson — was the only team to represent the organization at the state competition.

"We are very proud of their hard work and accomplishments this season," Steck said. "This is my last year as the cheer director, and it's a great feeling going out with such an outstanding achievement. Together the coaches and cheerleaders made history once again for the Hornet program.

"We are proud to be Hornets!" she said.