Mundelein Competition 2019

LOCATION:

Mundelein HS. 1350 W. Hawley St., Mundelein, IL 60060

TIME:

Sunday, November 24. Starts at 10, runs through 2:20-ish

TEAM DIVISIONS:

3A, 2A, 1A, and JV

FAN TIPS:

I’m a huge fan of that 10am start time. Not exactly an abundance of parking, but this year with no snow (there’ve been snow piles in the past) you should be alright. The gym’s of the old-school variety with those wooden bleachers, and it can get slightly crowded. It’s a nice setup, though, with the announcer’s table at the near end of the gym by the spectator entrance,  an entertaining announcer, and a sharp trophy table. The lunch line can get kind of long but the break gives you plenty of time. Lots of vendors to browse and the bathrooms are right outside the gym. Coach Schaefer and her volunteers always do an A+ job of hosting!

Pre-awards at the 2018 Mundy comp

Lake Zurich on their way to another 2A title last year at Mundelein

Early days of a super-successful 2018-19 season for Antioch

It’s a tradition at the Mundelein comp: Lake Zurich reveals their hip hop routine. I love how they’re obviously sharp and polished but they’re clearly out to entertain the crowd. This dance looked huge on that old-school gym floor (with the bleachers packed and so close to the floor), their bigger roster, and straightforward costumes that still pop and will pop downstate. Pretty much a preview of Day 2 at state, LZ and Geneva put on quite the battle on Sunday. Round 2 comin’ up…

Roadtrips on back-to-back weekends for 1A Mahomet-Seymour, and the effort paid off. This team looked more solid this weekend at Mundelein, especially that 2nd lyrical performance that has tons of emotion. Give these well-travelled dancers a shoutout when you run into them in Bloomington!

South Elgin sweetly led you down one road with their lyrical in the morning and then hit it hard with their afternoon jazz. Always a likely suspect for Day 2 at state, the SEHS dancers had a great start to the season on Sunday. Coach Shields looks like she has a floor-filling roster that’s strong from top to bottom.

Joliet boasts 3 strong programs within its city limits and Central doesn’t get our spotlight often enough. This season they’ve got us hooked with a pom routine that’s full of energy and personality. This is one of those routines that literally (yes, literally) has people in the bleachers nodding in approval right after they hit the last formation.

Antioch’s been creeping toward the ceiling the past few years and last season they burst through the roof. Now with a new coach (and teaming up with a former coach from the program’s ’90s and ’00s heyday) the Sequoits dancers are back with a slightly tweaked vibe. It’s a modern-lyrical kind of piece that has plenty of points potential. Solid season debut and on track to strengthen through the winter.

Now led by 2018’s state-winning 3A coach, Niles West is rewriting its identity and carving out a new place in the 3A landscape. I got to watch this team in practice a few weeks ago and knew they’d put together a capable competition debut. These dancers have excellent choreography to lean on and I’d bet that Coach Baron will have them grow into it sooner than later. In the meantime, you could feel a new dawn of confidence and hunger as they executed harder than ever on Sunday.

You can count on Mundelein for bringing two imaginative routines to the floor each season, and I’ve always struggled deciding which one I like more because both are crafted so well. These dancers are easily among the most artistic at any competition, and this dance was one of the few where I momentarily thought we were in a studio or auditorium setting instead of a gym. Props to Coach Schaefer and her kids for never failing to show their love of their sport.

Two defending state champs at one comp, both with two dances and I got in for 5 bucks? Yeet! Naperville North killed it last season and as I watched their 2nd dance on Sunday all I could think about was how they look like they mean BUSINESS. It was a powerful mashup of precision and 110% commitment to every little thing in their choreography.

I won’t say too much about this one since I don’t want to spoil the drama so early in the season, but their powerful theme spoke to every person watching in the audience. In an era where it’s easy just to put on the angry or angsty facial, these dancers each personified a different personal issue or struggle, and then by the end of the routine, overcame it. Good stuff!

SCN has a fantastic 1st routine. They’re a team that, when they speak as a unit, you can’t help but listen. Putting the changing spots sequence on repeat during Thanksgiving break!

1A SCORES

2A SCORES

3A SCORES

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