Last Sunday Illinois beat Ohio State by 3 PTS in OT in the Big 10 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Illini started 9-5 this season but won 14 of 15 since then to make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2013. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Sophie Leskis about growing up near campus and not being able to join the basketball team in Indianapolis this week.
You grew up in Champaign, IL: how close were you to campus, and was it an easy choice for college? I grew up in Champaign/Mahomet so I was around 12 minutes away from campus! I definitely knew that I wanted to go to a school close to home and the minute I made the dance team I knew that that this was the school for me!
You danced competitively for 15 years and have been on the team for the past 4 years: what is your favorite part of being a dancer? My favorite part about being a dancer is being able to perform in front of a crowd and entertain them. It is definitely a feeling unlike any other! Seeing the reactions of people and the joy they get from being hyped up is one of my favorite things of all-time.
You are a captain this year as a senior: what is the key to being a good leader? The key to being a good leader is being able to understand the difference between making decisions for yourself versus making decisions for the betterment of the team. We work really hard to make sure that we are always looking at the bigger picture and doing whatever is best for our team.
What does the dance team do at basketball games during a normal year? During a normal basketball season our team would perform at every home game on the sidelines and during timeouts on center court. We also have the opportunity to attend a few away games (Mizzou bragging rights game, United Center games, etc.)! During a typical season the team would be able to travel to tournament games and stand on the sideline too. This is disappointing for us given our amazing season and the way that the team has been playing, but we still love supporting the Illini from our homes and sometimes do watch parties together!
What do you think the role of a college dance team is today, and how has it changed over time? I think the role of a college dance team today is to be there to support your team. I know the basketball (and football) team really appreciates when we are at games and pumping up the crowd. I think it has changed a lot over the years because in the past I think dancers were typically thought of as cheerleaders, and although a lot of the stuff we do is similar it is a very different sport and people are starting to notice that!
You are majoring in kinesiology: why did you pick that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I am majoring in kinesiology because it is an exercise science, which is really interesting to me. I definitely love being active and learning more about my body so I thought this was a good fit for me. I plan on teaching dance after I graduate, hopefully at the high school level.
How do you like basketball, and is that your favorite sport? I LOVE the game of basketball. It is definitely one of my favorites to watch because it is such a quick-paced game.
On Sunday the Illini had a 3-PT OT win over Ohio State in the Big 10 tourney title game: how excited was the student body after the win to give you your 1st NCAA tourney appearance since 2013 (since last year’s tourney was canceled)? After our BIG 10 Championship win the student body here on campus went crazy. It was so surreal to see so many people excited about the victory. This was definitely an accomplishment for our basketball program and everyone could not be more excited to celebrate the team’s success.
Due to COVID your team has been unable to participate this season and you will not be traveling with the team to Indianapolis this week: how frustrating is it to be a dancer for a great basketball team during a pandemic? Due to COVID-19 we are unable to travel to Indy this year, but in past years we would have been able to travel with the team. This is super-upsetting to us because we have seen this team grow over the past 4 years and want to celebrate their success in person! Their basketball season is our season too and we unable to participate. However, it does not take away from the excitement that we have about our team winning the BIG 10 Championship and going to the NCAA tournament. It should be a lot of fun to watch on TV and we are always thrilled to watch them play!
You are playing Drexel on Friday: any predictions? I am predicting an Illinois win Friday against Drexel!