Highland cheerleaders cap terrific season with 4th place finish at IHSA state finals

Highland High School recently held Senior Night on Thursday, March 11. Highland Bulldog senior cheerleaders Karlie Hooton, Emma Ruffini and Tanille Thompson attended and were honored for their commitment on the competitive squad.

The varsity cheerleading team was also presented with their IHSA Edwardsville Sectional Champions plaque, which they earned Saturday, March 6.

Typically cheer season runs eight-nine months with practices up to five days a week and routines put together in one years time. HHS, however, was given a small five-week window to get a whole lot of work done. They secured the southern sectional spot a first place win against 13 other teams locally.

Over 70 medium teams from across the state competed in sectionals hoping to secure a spot in the finals.

Competition was tough but Highland tied for sixth statewide. The squad competed again Saturday, March 13, in the IHSA Virtual State Finals and placed fourth in the state out of 25 teams with a score of 95.97, just missing the top three by less than a half point.

The strong finish at state capped an excellent season for the team.

This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 11:47 AM.