The Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association is continuing to provide a boost to the sport by upping its college scholarship game, starting this year.
The ICCA held its annual Region 3 qualifying invitational at Guilford on Sunday, with 24 teams qualifying for a spot in the ICCA Cheerleading Championships, coming up on Jan. 11-12 in Springfield.
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According to Valerie Mallon, an IHSA competition official and also an ICCA regional representative: “The ICCA provides educational opportunities for all cheerleading coaches and athletes, and it offers college scholarships to deserving athletes every year.” This year the organization is giving out $25,000 worth of scholarships, more than ever before.
“This is really a neat opportunity for all of these cheerleaders,” Mallon said. “And we can tell they are really working hard at it.”
To qualify for the championships, teams had to earn a qualifying score at an ICCA invitational. Nine teams qualified for the championships out of Sunday’s competition: Hononegah varsity; Hononegah JV; Guilford co-ed; Guilford JV; Jefferson JV; Harlem Middle School; Eisenhower Junior High; Kimball Middle School (Elgin); and East Aurora co-ed.
The ICCA, which held the very first Illinois state cheerleading championships back in 1985, will hold this year’s state championships inside the Bank of Springfield Center on Jan. 11-12. The IHSA state championships will then be held on Feb. 7-8, 2025, in Bloomington.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.

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