Niles North Coed Varsity Cheer Squad to Compete at State

UPDATE: The Varsity Cheerleaders placed 13th in the state out of 56 coed teams in Illinois.

Varsity Co-Head Coach Jeff Tackes commented, "We were very proud of their accomplishments, improving 4 places at the state level since last season, even though we lost 17 seniors last year. Since we are still so young, without a doubt, next year they will be in the top 10."

The Niles North High School Varsity Cheerleading Squad took third place at the Grayslake Sectional Competition held January 30, earning a bid to the state competition held February 5 and 6 in Bloomington, IL. The Viking squad competed against eleven other teams in the sectional contest and is ranked 14^th in the state.

The Varsity Co-Head Coaches are Jody Trapani and Jeff Tackes. The Varsity squad: Jaimie Albert, Justin Braddy, Francine Brown, Mark Brown, Melanie Chan, Caitlin Colleran, Ari Elizer, Angelita Garcia, Natalia Gu, A.J. Isaac, Pearl Kohler, Manny Magbanua, Dariya Melnyk, Allyssa Memmini, Andres Merlos, Lauren Nelson, Perak Nhek, Christine Nitahara, Emily Sabo, Melissa Silverman and Sarah Wasson.

The cheerleaders are approaching the state contest with confidence, having already defeated several top 10 teams this season. The team finished second in the Central Suburban League Conference behind Maine South in a very close contest. North’s team also earned first place in the Elk Grove Invitational, beating several top contenders for the state crown.