Freeport ninth at NIC-10 meet, North wins

MACHESNEY PARK — The Freeport cheerleading team took ninth out of 10 teams at Thursday’s NIC-10 meet at Harlem High School.

The Pretzels received a 72.25 score from the judges.

Freeport took the mat as the sixth team on the day before a cheering crowd. The Pretzels’ routine consisted of stunts, tumbling and lifts. The performance received a 4.00 deduction, which tallied into the final score.

For a fourth straight year, the first-place trophy went to Belvidere North. The Blue Thunder won with an 86.25 score.

“We have a great choreographer,” North coach Tammy Rentschler said. “We probably have the most talent we have ever had, but it’s been a rough year. We’ve had a couple of good routines and a couple of horrible routines, but tonight, it all came together.”

North showcased a routine filled with high-quality stunts, but the 1.50 deduction didn’t keep the Blue Thunder from a first-place finish.

“This was our best performance,” North senior Sierra Leitner said. “We were so happy we did it.”

Guilford and Hononegah were second and third in the meet. The Vikings, who had no deductions, had an 83.15 score, while the Indians were close behind at 81.88. The rest of the field had Belvidere fourth (79.60), followed by Boylan (77.23), East (75.15), Auburn (74.48), Jefferson (73.43), Freeport (72.25) and Harlem (66.30).