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ICCA-536939-95762853

About ICCA Scholarship Program

Congratulations to the top 2026 scholarship winner, Maggie Bowser, from Edwardsville  High School.  Maggie will receive a $6,000 scholarship to the college of her choice.

ICCA provides scholarships to senior cheerleaders for continuing education at colleges and universities across the country. Scholarship winners are selected from seniors throughout the state of Illinois who excel in cheerleading as well as the classroom.  Those who applied sent in a video highlighting their cheerleading skills and a transcript from their school.  After a team of officials scored their videos and credit was given for GPAs and ACT/SAT received, the following athletes were selected as the top thirteen finalists to receive a scholarship.  The finalists will be contacted to set up their interview time.

The Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) awarded $30,000 in scholarships to the following finalists:

Ellie Baker - $1000 Scholarship - Waterloo High School

Jordyn Ballard - $1500 Scholarship - Rockford Lutheran High School

Brenna Bejma - $5000 Scholarship - Mt. Vernon High School

Maggie Bowser - $6000 Scholarship - Edwardsville High School

Ja'Mya Hawkins - $4000 Scholarship - Rockford Lutheran High School

Elizabeth Hirtzel - $1500 Scholarship - Effingham High School

Madalyn Prather - $1000 Scholarship - Waterloo High School

Kylie Price - $1500 Scholarship - Harrisburg High School

Alexa Severs - $2000 Scholarship - Woodlawn High School

Naeem West - $1000 Scholarship - Alton High School

Haley Wicke - $1000 Scholarship - Flora High School

Ryan Wildermuth - $3000 Scholarship - Pinckneyville High School

Makayla Woolsey - $1500 Scholarship - Jersey Community

Scholarship Instructions

Scholarship Requirements

  • 1

    You must be a Senior on the winter cheer team at an ICCA member school.

  • 2

    You must complete the form online by November 30th to be considered for an ICCA Scholarship.

  • 3

    An official transcript must be sent directly by a school official to the Scholarship Director no later than November 30th. 

  • 4

    You must have your coach complete the coaches' recommendation form.  The form will be sent to your coach once your application is complete and includes your video, photo, transcript, and SAT/ACT score.

  • 5

    You must have competed at a minimum of one ICCA Invitational.

  • 6

    You must submit a cheerleading skills video following the guidelines listed.

  • 7

    As a finalist, you are required to attend the interview (in person) on the evening of January 15, 2027.

  • 8

    If selected as a finalist, you must provide documentation of your Community Service activities during the interview process. 

  • 9

    As a finalist, you are required to attend the Championship on January 16, 2027.

The video is required to be in the following order:

  • Cheer (No stunts or repeated words are permitted.  You must incorporate one jump and one tumbling skill.)

  • Combination Jump (Demonstrate your best triple jump.)

  • Tumbling (Demonstrate one of your strongest standing tumbling skill(s) and one running pass.)

  • Stunt Sequence (Applicants for the stunt sequence may perform as a base, top, or back spot, but not as a front spot. A maximum of two stunts is permitted.  Only the applicant should appear in uniform. Separate videos are required for each scholarship applicant.)

*Videos not submitted in the correct order listed above will not be eligible for Scholarship consideration.*

Cheerleading Skills Video 60 points

  • Applicants must be in uniform. 

  • All skills must be performed on a cheer mat (No spring floor).

  • Other cheerleaders seen in the video should be in practice clothing and only seen during the stunting section.

  • The video must be no more than 2 minutes and in the following order:  1)  Introduction 2) Cheer  3)  Jumps  4)  Tumbling  5)  Stunts

  • Voice (5 points)

    Articulation, volume, pacing

  • Motions evaluated throughout the whole video (10 points)

    Placement, execution, sharpness

  • Jumps (10 points)

    Flexibility, execution, form, height, landing

  • Tumbling (10 points)

    Difficulty, execution, technique

  • Stunts (10 points)

    Difficulty, execution, technique

  • Creativity, Originality, Overall Appeal (10 points)

    How your video stands out from others (introduction and design of video), enthusiasm, energy, facials, appropriateness

  • Video follows order and guidelines (5 points)

Scholarship Application

For questions about the Scholarship process, please email Scholarship Director Valerie Mallon at: valeriem.icca@gmail.com.  Scholarship deadline is November 30.

Finalists will be posted on the ICCA website by December 22, 2026.

Award Recipients

2025 Recipients

ICCA AWARDED A TOTAL OF $25,000 IN SCHOLARSHIP MONEY DURING THE 2025 ICCA CHAMPIONSHIPS.

BSS_0235

THE TOP SCHOLARSHIP WINNER WAS KENYA COOLEY WHO WILL BE RECEIVING A $6,000 SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HER CHOICE.

Sophie Breitwiser – Waterloo 
Kate Christensen – Pontiac
Kenya Cooley – Carl Sandburg
Makenzie Emerick – Vandalia
Kaylen Hansen – Wilmington
Briley Keach – Flora
Kirklyn Kay – Benton
Maria Long – Pontiac
Claire Stanforth – Rockridge 
Brianna Viviano – Triad 

Pictured with the Scholarship finalists is the 2024 Top Scholarship Winner, Adrian Allen.

Past Recipients

2024

Adrian Allen – University High

Elizabeth Bax – Carl Sandburg

Megan Beerheide – Buffalo Grove

Lexie Fears – Highland

Natalie Hall – Rockridge

Kenzie Keyser – University High

Chloe McTeer – Highland

Avery Pingsterhaus – Mater Dei

Holly Ricklefs – Jersey Community

Payton Semmens – Pontiac

Kayla Zacheis – Edwardsville

2023

Jaynanne Caupert – Waterloo 

Callie Causemaker – Rockridge 

Olivia Gomez – Carl Sandberg 

Kaleigha Grant – Peoria 

Nikolette Hurley – Carl Sandburg 

Ashley Jackson – Carterville 

Gabrielle Kreke – Effingham 

DaMaurRe Morgan – Thornton Township 

Isabella Schmidt – Waterloo 

Gianna Viviano – Triad 

2022

Elisabeth Blumeyer – Mt. Vernon Township 

Kaelyn Causemaker – Rockridge 

Rheaanna Fowler – Highland 

Emma Guarni – Oswego East 

Evie Krieger – Benton 

Giovanna Mosely – Addison Trail 

Madalyn Riebel – Carl Sandburg

Madysen Schutte – Illini Bluffs 

Elisa Shaheen – Carl Sandburg 

Jessi Veline – O’Fallon Township

Brittani Wellen – Highland 

2021

Kalysta Conley – Vienna

Lily Nevin – Carl Sandburg 

Ava Stroobosscher – Carl Sandburg  

Ella Vacek – Oswego East 

Abby Wall – Greenville 

2020

Taylor Anderson – Peoria

Taylor Andrews – Oswego East

Ellie Behnke – Oswego East

Kamryn Daiber – Highland

Stephanie Gaspardo – Carl Sandburg

Elizabeth Gwaltney – Carmi-White

Meghan McCurdy – Carl Sandburg

Callie Metzger – Waterloo

Grace Napp – Alton

Anna Picaente - Carl Sandburg

Caroline Schmidt - Carl Sandburg 

Olivia Schrame - Oswego East

Lauren Weiner - Alton

2019

Lauryn Douthit – Effingham

Carly Etter – Mater Dei

Katherine Georges – Limestone

Chicoyah Hunt – Thornton Township

Hailey Keller – Civic Memorial

Kelsi Kessler – Carmi-White

Sarah Litchfield – Farmington

Addison Peckham – Farmington

Erin Peters – Rockridge

Elaina Vitale – Columbia

2018

Mara Caldieraro – Greenville

Kenzee Dycus – Mt. Vernon Township

Logan Hilmes – Greenville

Brooke Hudson – Granite City

Peyton Roedder – Carmi-White

Camryn Rowe – Rockridge

Breana Smith – Alton

Zoe Walrath – Rockridge

Paige Way – Edwardsville

Amy Weslow – Carl Sandburg

2017

Justice Conover – Carterville

Johnel Eubanks – Benton

Morgan Goebel – Edwardsville

Jessica Hall – Columbia

Ally Litchfield – Farmington 

Emma Moore – Edwardsville

Sydney Morgan – Mt. Vernon Township

Jesse Slack – Sesser-Valier

Alyssa Vignos – New Berlin

Bailey Wills – Highland

2016

Hannah Andrews – Oswego East

Alyssa Dollison – O’Fallon Township

MaKayla Gayler – Oakwood

Jessica Hammel – Carlyle

Nicole Infantino – Addison Trail

Kaylen Keele – Carlyle

Audrey Kosydor – Highland

Chase McQueen – Edwardsville

Kaylee Nichols – Williamsville

Nathan O’Connor – Tremont

Marissa Wheeler – Highland

2015

Celeste Bremley – Edwardsville

Hailey Flanagan – East Richland

Taylor Hitchcock – Rockridge

Sarah Hotzel – University 

Kelsey Jones – Williamsville

Kara Kennedy – Victor J. Andrew

Amy Kovarik – Sesser-Valier

Emily Kuberski – Pinckneyville

Renee Rivera – Mater Dei

Avani Yaganti – O’Fallon Township

2014

Ashley Buksa – Shepard

Brooklyn Hatalla – North Mac

Alexys Hayes – Mt. Vernon Township

Kendra Koehne – South Fork

Kylee Lawson – Triad

Micah Neal – Benton

Sydney Pickens – Rich Central

Erin Sutorius – Roxana

Leah Wynn – New Berlin

Ayla Zampogna – Rockridge

2013

Jazmon Carroll – O’Fallon Township

Clare Chiarolanza – Mater Dei 

Hailey Dudley – Tremont 

Genna Flaherty – Rockridge 

Nathalie Kiesewetter – University 

Kahlie Kilcher – University 

Cassidy Neal – Benton 

Jordan Pretto – Wilmington 

Lacey Jo Solomon – Mattoon  

Sang Xayasouk – Gilford 

2012

Cassidee Bowen – Edwardsville

Megan Crowe – Edwardsville 

Natasha Diehl – Belvidere North 

Lauren Hunsinger – Carmi-White County 

Alexa Kinney – Effingham

Mikaela Matifes – Alton 

Deanna Olson – University 

Mallory Pierson – North Mac 

Jessi Ungerer – Columbia 

Cassandra Wynn – New Berlin