Dating back to June 2017, the poms varsity girls were already preparing for their upcoming season. While everyone else was lounging around in the sun, the poms team was putting in hours of work for four consecutive days at their annual season kick off camp at Universal Dance Association at Wheaton College.

From then on, it was time to train, and the hard work paid off. On Jan. 20, LT advanced from the Mundelein sectional to IHSA state for the first time in poms history.

“There are no words I can use to describe the feeling,” varsity coach Mary Krosnjar said. “We were in awe and humbled by the opportunity.”

This season, the team did a few things differently. Each practice started with 30 minute high-intensity circuit training workout followed by stretching, Krosnjar said. This was implemented into their practices to help strengthen their endurance.

“We probably did the routine close to 1,000 times,” captain Linda Wilinski ’18 said. “Dancing with people you love makes a huge difference in practice and on the court or field.”

The team grew closer as the season went on due to bonding activities like dinners, Soul Cycle in the city and pool parties, team member Emma Dahl ’19 said. This then motivated them to work harder for each other.

“I think we all show leadership through our interaction with each other,” Dahl said. “We all switch off giving corrections, raising spirits, and helping out other members of the team.”

First, the team had to make it past sectionals. Each poms team competes at their designated sectional, and only six teams advance to state, Krosjnar said. This was LT’s first time competing at state in Bloomington where the team finished in the top 25.

“Competing at state was like nothing we’ve ever done before,” Wilinski said. “It was a whole new experience especially being with teams who go to state every year. We felt like the underdogs in a sense but loved every second of it.”

On Feb. 11, the squad also placed first in the lyrical category and got the highest overall score in their division at the Illinois Drill Team Association state competition. The IDTA consists of 139 high school teams within Illinois, and LT brought home the results they hoped for.

“It was such a joy as a coach to watch them grow and get stronger with each day,” Krosjnar said. “This team truly had the desire to be successful and that is effectively what lead us to our seasons successes.”

Yet, even though their season has been coming to an end, the achievements they earned has shaped a completely new mentality for next year.

“My fellow juniors and I have decided that next year we are going to work just as hard if not harder,” Dahl said. “We want a team with the same drive, attitude and sense of family.”