Evergreen Park’s competitive dance team performs a routine that vaulted the Mustangs to sixth in the state on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Competitive Dance State Finals | Evergreen Park has sixth sense again
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
BLOOMINGTON — For the second straight year, Evergreen Park’s competitive dance team qualified for the second day of state competition.
For the second straight year, the Mustangs were the first team to perform on the second day.
And for the second straight year, they finished sixth in the state in Class 1A.
The Mustangs were the lone area team to advance to the second day and finish in the top 12. They scored an 85.64 to finish sixth at the IHSA state meet, held Jan. 27-28 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.
Evergreen Park finished 10th in the preliminary round with an 81.20 and ratcheted it up in the second round.
“This season has been just amazing,” Mustangs coach Marion Castillo said. “It’s amazing that they took conference this year and were sectional champions. It’s just another stepping-stone.”
“We love making history for our school,” senior Kristen Smith said. “We’ve only been doing this for four years. It hasn’t been as long as other teams.
“We didn’t grow up in the studio. We started in high school with our amazing coach and thank God for that. It’s really been an honor working with my coach.”
Other dancers on the Mustangs were Grace Koziczkowski, Aaliyah Frazier, Sofia Esquivel, Cathalina Castellanos, Jameia Sharp-Brown, Britnii Johnson, Jaqueline Ordaz, Jordan Johnson, Emani Johnson, Chloe Reed, Mikaela Bolden, Taylor Hawkins and Carlina Scott.
Last year, the squad gave an intense performance featuring dark and scary costumes. This year, the intensity was still there, but the Mustangs chose attire that made it look like they were ready to challenge the rest of the field in a softball game.
“We tried to bring out more color and project more on the floor,” Castillo said. “We switched up a bit to be a little more noticeable.”
As for being the first team on the floor on the second day for two straight years, that was not their preference. But the Mustangs made the most of it.
“We got the crowd jumping, for sure,” Smith said. “They were jumping up and jumping up.”
Five other teams from the area qualified for state but could not make it to the second day.
In Class 3A, Lyons was 22nd with an 83.47. Sandburg claimed 25th with an 82.92.
In Class 2A, Argo claimed 18th with an 81.23. Marist took 30th, receiving a 77.02 score.
Nazareth finished 21st in Class 1A with a 74.30.
DANCING INTO THE TOP 10
Area teams that have finished in the top 10 in the state in competitive dance.
2013 Sandburg – 6th, 3A
2014 Stagg – 8th, 3A
2020 Evergreen Park – 10th, 1A
2020 Argo – 10th, 2A
2021 Riverside-Brook – 8th, 2A
2022 Evergreen Park – 6th, 1A
2023 Evergreen Park – 6th, 1A
3 Comments
Local News
Winter Olympics bring back fun memories
Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? My favorite sport is figure skating. It is beautiful and athletic. The athletes are so inspiring. I love to watch all the sports. I remember my family gathering around the TV, watching the Olympics in the early…
Area wrestlers advance to sectionals
Spread the loveFrom Staff Reports The following wrestlers have qualified for sectional competition after placing in the top three at their respective regional tournaments. (Name, class, finish at regional) Class 3A Marist Regional Marist George Marinopoulos, Fr, 2nd at 106 Michael Esteban, Fr, 1st at 113 Will Denny, Fr, 2nd at 120 Jesse Herrera,…
Mayor ‘out of control,’ hero says
Spread the lovePolice ranks ‘thousands’ short, dispatcher tells Scottsdale By Tim Hadac It’s not every day that a City worker has the courage to attend a public meeting and call a mayor “out of control.” But Keith A. Thornton Jr. did exactly that earlier this week on the Southwest Side. A 911 dispatcher hailed as…
Rockie is the new kid on the block
Spread the love While some folks see heavy snowfall and curse the skies, children across the Southwest Side seemed thrilled with last week’s winter windfall. Schools cancelled classes, and kids like 9-year-old Rosie Arroyo showed her creativity by working with her father, Raul, to build a snowman in front of their home near 49th and…
Kaegi, legislators, advocates unveil affordable housing initiative
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi was joined by state legislators and affordable housing advocates earlier this week to launch the Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program, a new form of property tax relief recently signed into law. Kaegi worked with legislative partners who passed the law last spring, including State Sens.…
Lopez nixes dibs
Spread the love While calling dibs on parking spaces in the winter is an informal tradition in the city, 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez recently reminded his constituents in Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, Gage Park and West Englewood that no one may call dibs indefinitely. He instructed his Streets and Sanitation ward superintendent…
St. Dan’s Summerfest to return
Spread the lovePopular event was gone for several years By Tim Hadac Details are just starting to emerge, but it looks like St. Daniel the Prophet Parish’s Summerfest will return in 2022, after an absence of several years. The family-focused event is set for Thursday, June 16 through Sunday, June 19 on parish grounds at…
Skating is winter’s silver lining
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. As I write this, snowmageddon is raging outside. I’m not sure how many inches we have as of yet, or how many we will end up with; but I hope by the time you read this, we are…
Property tax bills due soon, Pappas says
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recently mailed nearly 1.8 million Tax Year 2021 First Installment property tax bills. Payments are due March 1, 2022. The First Installment is 55% of the previous year’s total tax. Exemptions that can reduce a property owner’s taxes are applied to the Second Installment bill.…
Neighbors
Riot Fest abandons Chicago park for SeatGeek Stadium
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Last year, Lyrical Lemonade moved its Summer Smash hip-hop music festival from Chicago’s Douglass Park to Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium. Thousands of fans poured into the stadium at 7100 S. Harlem Ave. over the course of three days and, by most accounts, enjoyed the experience. Summer Smash returned to SeatGeek this…
Comings & Goings: Orland Park Summerfest returns this weekend
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Back for a second go round this weekend is the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce’s Summerfest. The event combines a carnival, live music, an array of dining options and a car show, at the 153rd Street Metra Station location in Orland Park and will run from Friday, June 14,…
Repair Cafe this Saturday at Township of Lyons HQ
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Repair cafes have become quite the thing for the Township of Lyons. So much so that another repair cafe will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 15, at the township office, 6404 Joliet Road in Countryside. A repair café held in May was a smashing…
‘They didn’t have to kill my brother’ – sister of slain Bridgeview man
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Arturo Cantu should be celebrating two big events this weekend. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday on June 14. And, a sister said, he would have enjoyed Father’s Day on Sunday, spending time with family and his two young children. Instead, 10 family members and friends gathered in a…
‘You just learn to live with the pain’
Spread the loveStatus hearing in July for McCook murder By Steve Metsch The attorney representing a Chicago man charged with murdering a Blue Island man in McCook in February told a judge Wednesday there’s been “a significant and outstanding discovery in this matter.” Attorney Damon Cheronis made his comment before Cook County Circuit Court Judge…
Man shot in La Grange; suspect arrested in Stickney
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch A man was shot Tuesday afternoon in La Grange, according to a news release received Wednesday from the police department. A suspect has been apprehended, the release said. The shooting victim remains in stable condition at a local hospital, the release said. La Grange Police, working with the Major Case…
Softball | Marist will play for state title for fourth straight season
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent Marist returned to the state title game for the fourth straight season with a 7-1 victory over Mundelein in the semifinals, held June 7 at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. The Mustangs (36-2) were making their first appearance at state since 1996. “We have a core group of returners,”…
McCook building inspector retires after 18 years
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch After 18 years of inspecting buildings, be it a modest bi-level house or a sprawling multi-million-dollar warehouse, Terrence Hickey is retiring from the village of McCook. His retirement takes effect June 28, Mayor Terrance Carr said during the June 3 meeting of the village board. “I’m jealous,” Carr said. “(He’s…
New Summit Girl Scout troop off and running
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan There’s a new Girl Scout Troop in Summit, and they have been busy. Troop 56615 is made up of girls from Summit School District 104 from first-grade to third-grade, and between 7-9 years old, making them Brownies in the scouting world. They have 10 girls so far, and Troop Leader…
THATS MY GIRLFRIEND ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK RIGHT THE SECOND TO LAST ON THE RIGHT!!!
Great Job Girls!!!!! You guys have done great the whole season! Proud Dance mom of Cathalina Castellanos!!!!!! The whole team gave it their all and kept bringing it more and more at every competition!!!
The young ladies did an amazing job all year! They really knew how to wake up the crowd and bring all of the excitement. This is just the beginning for them. They are our champions and we are very proud of them! Let’s Go EP! Congrats to my mini me Jordan! She definitely did her thing this year as she has done many years. Next year will be even better for her and her team!
Thank you to an amazing coaching staff. You are the best!