Community Corner
Grayslake Colts' Featherweight Poms Beat The System To Take Third
The poms squad earned enough points to overcome a unique 'lack of competition' to prove they were worthy of the title.
Nearly five months of bi-weekly practices, football games and competitions landed the Grayslake Colts Featherweight Poms a third place finish at the Illinois state-level competition last weekend.
“We’re so proud,” said Featherweight head coach Melissa Mutter. “It’s been a great season and an invaluable learning experience and we are very happy.”
That learning experience came when the Featherweight Poms squad made up of 25 area fourth- and fifth-graders realized they did not have much competition in the large-group division.
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The squad included Olivia Ambre, Olivia Armanetti, Elizabeth Bako, Grace Bounds, Grace Brown, Emily Buczynski, Delaney Carolan, Katherine Christensen, Lexie Delongchamp, Brittany Grim, Catherine Harper, Gabriela Hurtado, Emma Jaworski, Hannah Kutsch, Lauren Llanes-Smith, Rachel Monahan, Jacqueline Mutter, Mya Myrdal, Avery Nims, Morgan Provo, Miranda Rogina, Jackie Schlemm, Paytyn Schmitt, Emerson Soder, Ella Swensen and Kayla Thomas.
Junior coaches for the Featherweight Poms Squad included Becca Gower, Melanie Schenider, Taylor Korjenek and Morgan Gamble.
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At the Colts’ first competition in October the team secured a state bid after being judged by points, rather than how they competed against schools with smaller Poms squads.
The Illinois Recreational Cheer Association (IRCA) came up with the point system to allow divisions without direct competition to still be judged fairly.
No other teams with large Featherweight Poms squads secured a state bid, forcing IRCA to implement the point system again at the state competition.
“It was hard because we didn’t get to see who we were competing against since we were being judged based on our points,” said Mutter. “We just competed once in the finals and the points we earned was what IRCA placed as third.”
Mutter said she and assistant coaches Brenda Brown and Casper Provo prepped the team to ensure they didn’t expect a first place finish simply because they had no direct competition.
"They know they have worked so hard for such a long time,” Mutter said. “They know it was such an honor to go to state, and they had fun.”
Other Colts Poms and Cheerleading squads also competed in the state competition. For those results check out Colts Varsity Poms Win State Title and Colts Cheerleaders Take a Strong Second in State.
