Hawkettes strive to continue winning streak at Sectionals

Elizabeth Drakontaidis Sports Writer

The Hawkettes recently competed at Sectionals and placed first in the competition. After this win, the team’s next step is to compete at State and Nationals.

Last season, they placed in the top five for IHSA State and won a National Title.

“Coming off of winning last year, we have a reputation to uphold, and I think that’s what’s keeping us going is that drive and feeling of hard work that paid off,” junior captain Payton Cassidy said. “This team definitely has it in them and I’m excited to see our end product. ”

This season, to prepare for the upcoming competitions, the Hawkettes have been practicing five days a week, for 3-4 hours each day. Practicing allows the Hawkettes to perfect their routines so they can be at their best for competitions.

“We practice for a reason, and practice helps us get closer to our goals,” sophomore Brianna Giustino said.

The Hawkettes have put in lots of effort, but the next steps are focusing on the tiny details that can make a big difference at competitions.

“Focusing on the little details, in the end, is more important than anything,” Giustino added.

“We have been nitpicking each routine and going down to each and every count to make sure everything looks clean,” sophomore Kasia Szul said.

The team is working hard this season to make sure that each time they perform, it is their best performance.

“Although sometimes practices can be hard, we always push through and improve in the end, helping us improve more for our competitions ahead,” Giustino said. “Practicing helps us get our nerves out and make sure we can hit everything before we go to our competitions.”

As the State and National competitions draw nearer, the Hawkettes are excited to compete against some of the most elite teams in not only Illinois, but the whole nation.

“It is hard to realize that it is almost over, but we really have been trying to do our best and push at these final moments to make it all worth it,” Szul said.

Because the end of the season is coming soon, the team is even more focused on their goals.

“We work really well as a team, so I am ready to give it my all one more time this season to make sure this team gets the recognition we’ve been working for,” Giustino said.