The Jacksonville J’ettes kicked off their new year and competitive season on Saturday, January 5, 2019. They attended the Illinois Dance Team Association’s Edwardsville contest and competed two fresh and clean routines. This year’s team has chosen two styles to compete: Pom/Dance and Lyrical/Contemporary. These dances were choreographed by coaches Tiffany Hickox and Allyson Maul; captains Sarah May and Sara Wilson; and J’ette alumni Anna Bezler.

At the contest, the J’ettes competed a total of three times. Once with Lyrical/Contemporary, and twice with Pom/Dance. Each routine was judged by the IDTA staff one time and the Pom/Dance routine was competed and judged a second time by IHSA officials for scoring purposes to advance to the sectional competition.

After the Jacksonville team left it all on the dance floor, it was finally time to receive awards. The team set the bar high for themselves, even though it was their first competition. The team goal was to entertain their audience, leave a great first impression, and qualify for state. The girls did just that and came home with several major accomplishments. In addition, Sarah May, a co-captain this year, was awarded the “Rising Star” Award for Varsity teams at the contest.

The J’ettes came home with a first place in AA Pom/Dance and second place in AA Lyrical/Contemporary from their IDTA judging staff. These awards qualified the team for the Illinois Dance Team Association State Competition in Springfield at the beginning of February. The J’ettes also received a fourth place award while competing for the IHSA dance officials. They will compete for the sectional title to advance to the IHSA state competition on January 19 in Mascoutah, Illinois.