Following an outstanding performance at Sectionals, Central’s Poms dance team has qualified for the State competition at Illinois State University (ISU) this weekend, Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. Preliminary competition will be held on Friday, Jan. 31 and the State finals will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Representatives from the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will judge the team on its synchronization, technique, showmanship and choreography. Since the IHSA started the competition two years ago, Central’s Poms team has qualified for IHSA State for synchronized dancing both years and plans to continue competing in the future.

“We were all extremely happy to get the opportunity to go to state, we went against some very impressive teams at sectionals and felt so thankful and proud of each other when we got in the top six,” sophomore Phoenix Tai said.

The Poms members spent many hours after school practicing to make it to State. The team acquired a new choreographer and began taking ballet classes outside of school to improve their technique for the upcoming competitions and performances.

“We practiced really hard this year,” Tai said. “We accomplished an amazing season last year and knew that we could push ourselves and each other even further. [It] is a lot of hard work, long practices and sore calves.”