Belvidere North gets back on track to rebuilding dynasty in competitive cheer with 3rd at state

Belvidere North's reputation as one of the best competitive cheerleading programs in the state took a hit last year when the squad finished in 14th place at the IHSA state finals.

North had finished either first or second in the state in the co-ed division in seven straight postseasons before dropping out of contention with a couple of falls in last year's finals' performance. That was during what head coach Kim Crull called, "Just one of those bad days."

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Well, the Blue Thunder got back on track this year, finishing third in the state in the co-ed division on Saturday in Bloomington, after what Crull called, "Their best performance of the year."

"After last year, we really wanted get back onto that podium, and it's just such a great feeling to get there," Crull said. The top three teams in each division earn a trophy and a podium spot. "Our execution, across the board, was just on.

"This is our new golden era, and the momentum we've built right now is real strong."

They were near flawless in Saturday's state finals, nailing all of their stunts as well as their tosses and tricks. They posted a 95.54, just eding out their score of 95.23 from sectionals that was the best of the year.

South Elgin won the state title at the co-ed division with a score of 97.60, however, while Hoffman Estates Conant took second with a 96.18. The Blue Thunder had a 93.02 in Friday's prelims to advance to the finals in sixth place. The top 10 advanced, but then the slates were wiped clean. North was the only local team to advance to the finals.

So it all came down to Saturday's performance. And North nailed it.

"I guess you could say that we were all pretty determined and motivated once we got here," said Rafael Rosas Jr., the lone senior on the team. "This team was just built on chemistry and trust, and that's what we leaned on... And then we finished with our best performance of the year. That felt good."

The entire varsity roster consisted of Rosas Jr., Frankie Baldauf, Rylee Doss, Lauren Elliott, Katy Fridly, Gabriella Fusco, Natalie Hayes, Connor Held, Ali Hritz, Emmy Ivanans, Tyree Mitchell, Tyreek Mitchell, Zach Moore, Yadira Morales, Samantha Nevara, Brittany Ramirez, Margaret Taskey, Denzel Willingham, Kalen Yang and manager Allivia Fennessy.

Rosas Jr. is the only one not eligible to return next season, which means they very well could be back, and working on getting that dynasty re-established. They have claimed the past 13 NIC-10 titles, so the area dominance is still there.

"I've said all along that this feels like a whole new era, and we're back," Doss, a junior, said. "Our team chemistry was just off the charts this year, and that was with just one senior. So for sure, we'll be back. We have more to accomplish."

Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: With third place at state, Belvidere North shows how it's back