The exhileration and excitement of going to state ran through the minds of the Glenbrook South Varsity Cheerleading team when they found out they had made it to state, according to junior Jenna Yoo. Glenbrook South’s Varsity Cheerleading placed third at the sectional competition, and the culmination of hard work and dedication paid off according to Yoo.

Throughout the year, the team reached unexpected heights during the season, but the perseverance determination, and dedication was the main reason for the Titan’s newfound success, according to head varsity cheer coach Stephanie Fuja.

“I think it teaches people how to have good sportsmanship, teamwork, how to deal with difficulties,” Fuja said. “[Cheerleading teaches you] to come back up from being knocked down, and what hard work really is and what it takes to be successful in life in general.”

The moment the Titans heard the results, and found out they were headed to the state competition was exciting, according to Wojciechowicz.  Not only were the Titan’s confidence, and attitude bolstered by their state qualification, but the cheer programm had done something that they had not done before, Wojciechowicz said.

“When we heard our name that we were going to state, it was a really exhilarating moment for us,” Wojciechowicz said. “It gained a lot of confidence for the team so now we know we’re able to go to state and we’re able to score higher than our previous scores”.

The team treated the sectional meet like any other regular competition, according to senior captain Monika Wojciechowicz.  Staying calm and focusing on the task at hand was critical for performing at a high level according to Wojciechowicz.

“[We] treated it like any other one, they didn’t do anything differently,” Wojciechowicz said.  “When we were at state, we did team bonding before we performed and it seemed to help a lot”.

Teamwork was critical to the success, according to Fuja and second varsity head coach Emma Hanna. According to Fuja, her connection with Hanna helped make the cheer season successful.

Fuja said, “I think we really see eye to eye on what our expectations are and we make a pretty solid team the two of us. I think what we brought forth this year was discipline, structure, and focus”.

According to Wojciechowicz, the leadership of captains Paige Kleutgen, Lesly Zavala and MariaElena Kouriabalis and Yoo helped form a strong team bond. Diversity amongst the leaders helped form a strong bond within the team, according to Wojciechowicz.

“We work well together,” Wojciechowicz said. “We all have different things we contribute to the team.”

The achievements and success that the team found this year was a result of their commitment, hard work, determination, and dedication according to Wojciechowicz. Buying into the system and finding a way to work together helped the team reach their goals for the season, and set a foundation for the future, according to Wojciechowicz.

“We all had to commit to the team and work as one.”