Alerts Sign-up
Lemont High School's cheerleading team clinched its eighth Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state title, marking a significant achievement in the program's history. The victory at the 2025 IHSA Medium Division Cheerleading State Finals, held at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on February 7-8, added another trophy to their impressive collection.
The team, led by head coach Bree Grady-Simpson, delivered a remarkable performance in the final round after a challenging start. They advanced to the finals by securing tenth place with a score of 89.79 in the preliminary round. However, they soared to first place with a score of 97.50, narrowly defeating Providence Catholic and Grayslake Central.
Grady-Simpson's squad consists of seniors Claire Auw, Jordan Cryer, Mia Federovich, Grace Markun, Ella Mierzwa, Kelsey Schmidt, Molly Wallace and Ashley Wrublik; juniors Samantha DuVall, Ella Phelan, Morgan Sadelski and Victoria Swanstrom; sophomores Hailey Borner, Emma Federovich, Allyson Fluder, Natalie Oprondek, Alexa Verhoeven and Melanie Wallace; and freshmen Emma Schrimpl and Sabrina Tavolino.
This win marks Lemont's second consecutive state championship and extends their streak of top-five finishes to 20 seasons. Earlier this season, Lemont secured its place in the state finals by finishing as runner-up at the IHSA Joliet West Sectional on February 1.
Lemont's cheerleading program has been a consistent force since it began competing in the IHSA State Series in 2006. Alongside Conant, Lockport, Oak Forest and Sandburg high schools, Lemont has reached the state finals every year since then.
The team is one of only four athletic programs at Lemont High School to win an IHSA team state championship. Their previous victories were recorded in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2024. In addition to their championships and runner-up finishes in multiple years including 2023 and earlier years dating back to 2006.
