On Feb. 6, the New Trier High School cheer team finished No. 23 overall at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Championship in Bloomington, Illinois. After placing No. 3 at IHSA Sectionals on Jan. 31, the team was able to advance to IHSA State after it placed within the top five. 

Despite placing No. 23 out of 25 overall, the team was elated to have the opportunity to compete at the state competition as the Trevs had not competed at state since the 2022-2023 season. 

“We haven’t gone to state in three years, so we were really happy we made it,” senior captain Sophia Aisen said.  

Entering the state competition, the team looked to focus on “performance, showmanship, and consistency,” head coach Kelsey O’Kane explained. 

“I wanted the athletes to feel comfortable and confident in [the] routine so they can truly enjoy the experience of being a top competitor,” O’Kane said. 

The week leading up to the state competition, there were no changes made to the routine. Their main focus was to “maximize scoring in all categories,” O’Kane explained.

Now, instead of competing, the team will be cheering on the sidelines during basketball games. However, the team will still continue to practice its skills in order to improve. 

“We think of [the rest of the season] as an off-season,” Aisen said. “We still want to make sure we’re getting better at our skills, [but] this [growth] is really important to us. We made a goal sheet and it really helped us grow and become the team that we are this year.” 

According to Aisen, looking ahead to the 2026-2027 season, the team is determined to do better, although the current seniors won’t be there, they hope the cheer program continues to grow. They are focusing on working on routine executions, keeping a positive mindset through obstacles, and encouraging every cheerleader to do their best. 

“A successful season can be defined in a multitude of ways,” O’Kane said. “Of course we always want to win, but winning is just one way to measure our success.” 

Skill growth, team cohesion, and a positive team culture are all other ways success can be measured, O’Kane explained.

“We are always learning, growing, accepting feedback as a gift and working together to increase our overall score,” O’Kane said.