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La Salle County Sports

Competitive cheer: Somonauk earns 10th state appearance over past 15 years

The Somonauk High School competitive cheer team has qualified for this weekend’s IHSA State Preliminaries at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, with the Bobcats cheer squad competing in the Small Division at 10:10 a.m. Friday with hopes of advancing to Saturday’s IHSA State Finals. This is the team’s 10th time qualifying for state in head coach Laci Mcconnaughay’s 15 years leading the program. The Somonauk competitive cheer team includes (left to right) Sophie Diebold, Kennedy Anderson, Caitlyn Garich, MacKenzie Svatek, Ellie Zaleski, Jezlyn Dierdorff, Harper Shaw, Olivia Taylor and Ella Punsalan, and is coached by McConnaughay and assistants Rylie Passero and Kara Anderson.

The Somonauk High School competitive cheer team has qualified for this weekend’s IHSA State Preliminaries at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, with the Bobcats cheer squad competing in the Small Division at 10:10 a.m. Friday with hopes of advancing to Saturday’s IHSA State Finals. This is the team’s 10th time qualifying for state in head coach Laci Mcconnaughay’s 15 years leading the program. The Somonauk competitive cheer team includes (left to right) Sophie Diebold, Kennedy Anderson, Caitlyn Garich, MacKenzie Svatek, Ellie Zaleski, Jezlyn Dierdorff, Harper Shaw, Olivia Taylor and Ella Punsalan, and is coached by McConnaughay and assistants Rylie Passero and Kara Anderson. (Provided by Somonauk High School)

By J.T. Pedelty

The Somonauk High School competitive cheer team has qualified for this weekend’s IHSA State Preliminaries at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, with the Bobcats cheer squad competing in the Small Division at 10:10 a.m. Friday with hopes of advancing to Saturday’s IHSA State Finals. This is the team’s 10th time qualifying for state in head coach Laci Mcconnaughay’s 15 years leading the program.

The Somonauk competitive cheer team includes (left to right) Sophie Diebold, Kennedy Anderson, Caitlyn Garich, MacKenzie Svatek, Ellie Zaleski, Jezlyn Dierdorff, Harper Shaw, Olivia Taylor and Ella Punsalan, and is coached by McConnaughay and assistants Rylie Passero and Kara Anderson.

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J.T. Pedelty

J.T. Pedelty

J.T. is a graduate of Streator High School, Illinois Valley Community College and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale who is some 27 years into an award-winning sports journalism career and serves as a regional sports editor for Shaw Local Media and Friday Night Drive.