Indianettes rock the IDTA finals for second place

Make room for a new trophy. The Du Quoin Indianettes took second place in the Illinois Drill Team Association state finals on Saturday for their hip-hop routine to a version of the song "Body" by Megan Thee Stallion.

The competition was based on videotaped performances of each squad, as in-person contests were replaced by livestreaming this year.

The Indianettes gathered at Coach Bri Green's house to watch the performances. Then they adjourned to the Knights of Columbus Hall in Pinckneyville where they were joined by family and friends for a banquet and to watch the judging live on the hall's big TV.

"Watching all of the different teams, I had a gut feeling we would definitely be top 3 but I didn't know where in the top 3," Green said on Monday. At two other regional competitions in the IDTA this season, the Indianettes won first and third place in the Single A hip-hop category.

As they watched, Green was silently calculating how well her girls measured up to the other schools. She was particularly worried about Bishop McNamara, a Catholic high school in Joliet, because they had a lot of tricks in their performance. Judges like tricks, and like it even better when a whole team does them in unison, like McNamara was doing.

Green had also choreographed tricks into the Indianettes routine, but not every girl could do them, so she highlighted the ones who could.

"It was scary to me," watching McNamara do a lot of team tricks, she said.

"But our energy level was so high," in comparison to the other schools, Green said. Also, the level of difficulty that McNamara brought to their routine wasn't that much higher than what the Indianettes were doing, she decided.

"Our unity was better and our team was faster," Green added.

She also thinks the music helped - "Body" was infectious. Green had to edit the song to remove some inappropriate language - the IDTA is very picky about that - but it didn't detract from the song.

When the judges announced the Indianettes finished second - yes, behind McNamara - the girls threw their hands in the air in joy.

"There were a lot of tears," Green said. "The moms were in tears and they almost had me in tears."

And when Green got the judges' score sheet she discovered that Du Quoin had lost to Bishop McNamara by only 1.5 points. "We were pretty close in all respects," she said. "I don't think Du Quoin has placed in hip-hop since I was in high school."

In 2020, the Indianettes qualified for the state finals in three categories: Jazz, hip-hop and pom dance. This year they went all-in behind hip-hop.

Green said she chooses each year's emphasis only when she sees who is trying out.

"Every year it varies," she said. At tryouts, each student learns a jazz routine and a hip-hop routine. "This year, I looked at them and decided they were a hip-hop group."

The Indianettes are going to lose seven seniors to graduation. Right now she has four juniors, one sophomore and four freshmen, plus she's aware of a few eighth graders who will try out. "I don't expect to have as big a team as this year," Green added.

But that's a few months away. Now, it's all about the celebration.