Vandalia High School senior cheerleader Makenzie Emerick has been selected as one of the top 10 finalists for the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) Scholarship. Each year the ICCA receives applications from senior cheerleaders from across the state who are then narrowed down to 10 finalists selected based on a combination of how they excel in the classroom (based on academic categories such as GPA and SAT/ACT scores), skills as a cheerleader as well as other factors such as community service. Once the 10 finalists are selected, they are then interviews during the ICCA Championship weekend which is January 11-12 in Springfield. The Vandals will compete at the Championships on Saturday, January 11 in two divisions, but Emerick will begin her weekend on Friday when she will do her official interview for the scholarship. Scholarships finalists will then be recognized at the end of competition on Saturday, January 11 with an overall total of $25,000 in scholarships awarded. Each finalist will be awarded at least $1,000. The full list of finalists is below:
Sophie Breitwiser – Waterloo High School
Kate Christensen – Pontiac High School
Kenya Cooley – Carl Sandburg High School
MAKENZIE EMERICK – VANDALIA HIGH SCHOOL
Kaylen Hansen – Wilmington High School
Kirklyn Kay – Benton High School
Briley Keach – Flora High School
Maria Long – Pontiac High School
Claire Stanforth – Rockridge High School
Brianna Viviano – Triad High School
(Makenzie Emerick Photo Submitted)
