The Troy 30-C Dance Team has won the Illinois Drill Team Association (IDTA) Hip-Hop Junior High Division State Championship for the third consecutive year.
The achievement is rare for a middle school program and reflects the dedication of the student-athletes and their coaches.
The 2025-2026 team consists of fifth through eighth-grade students who began practicing in August.
At their first competition in January at Hawthorne South Middle School, they qualified for the state finals in jazz and hip-hop. Jerome Croom also received a Rising Star Award for outstanding showmanship, execution and enthusiasm.
At the Phoenix Military regional competition in Chicago on Jan. 25, three dances qualified for the state finals.
The team’s success stems from a commitment to growth and continuous improvement, according to coaches Chrissy Thoele and Trisha Koerner, who have led the program for eight years.
“We’re a team, but we’ve also created a dance family throughout the years of our coaching,” Koerner said. “Each year, we have alumni coming back to support us and choreograph our pieces.”
That family connection was evident in this season’s choreography. The state-winning hip-hop routine was choreographed by 2022 graduate Lilly Lesnik.
Cailey Koerner, 2019 graduate, choreographed the state-qualifying Open Pom dance, while the state-qualifying jazz routine was choreographed by 2022 graduate Olivia Thoele.
The alumni involvement demonstrates the lasting pride the program inspires.
Troy Athletic Director Meagan DeGroot praised the team’s achievement.
“I am so incredibly proud of the Troy dance team. Not only do they practice long hours, but they are high honor students first. For a team to have three consecutive back-to-back state championships is very rare in middle school. It shows the true determination these student-athletes and their coaches have,” DeGroot said.
The team will present their trophies to the Troy 30-C Board of Education on May 20.
Troy 30-C is proud to be among the few school districts in the area with a middle school dance team. The district celebrates the team’s dedication, achievements and commitment to both their sport and academic success this season.