Tigers Dance Team Advances to State

Congratulations to the EPHS competitive dance team! On Jan. 24, they qualified for the IHSA state finals, the first time the school’s competitive dance squad has made it to state! The team performed in the Class 1A sectional at Maine South High School in Park Ridge.

And wow, what a performance! Check out the accompanying video to see the team’s entire routine, with music by the Goo Goo Dolls (“Iris”). 

The Tigers, coached by Gina Gallo and captained by senior Bella Wernsing, placed fifth out of 13 teams. Only the top six teams in each sectional division advance to state. The Tigers’ final score of 77.13 was just three-tenths of a point behind fourth-place Tinley Park (77.43) and 1.44 behind third-place Ridgewood (78.57).

Next up for the team is the state finals, which will take place Friday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. Before the Tigers leave for state, EPHS will celebrate the team’s historic accomplishment with a send-off parade through the school.

This is Coach Gallo’s third season leading the team, and each year the Tigers have gotten closer to their goal of advancing to state. In the 2024 sectional at Jacobs High School in Algonquin, the team finished 12th out of a field of 17. In 2025 the Tigers improved to seventh out of 14 teams at the Maine East sectional, missing state by just 1.64 points.

To see the team’s reaction when they heard they made the cut and for comments from Coach Gallo and head captain Bella Wernsing, check out this video:

Congratulations again to Coach Gallo, team captain Bella Wernsing and her fellow seniors Era Baldos, Emilia Blazejewska, Alexandria Mendoza and Marely Ruiz; juniors Jaila Camuy, Olivia Marchel, Veronica Rojas and Celeste Vazquez; and freshmen Lula Korntheuer and Eleni Rodriguez. Good luck at state! Go Tigers!