Thursday, October 1, 2026
For the fourth straight year, the title at South Side High School’s Red and Blue event changed hands.
Powered by victories in the skit, prop and dance categories, the Blue team reclaimed the crown last Saturday with a 70-52 win over the Red team before a raucous, standing-room-only crowd in the high school gym.
The Blue team has now won six of the last eight competitions and eight of the past 12 dating to 2015, taking a 52-46-11 advantage in the event’s 110-year history.
The three-day competition began on Feb. 26, when the teams performed their friendship and march songs, and unveiled handmade posters featuring inspirational messages tied to the aerobics, jazz, disco and tap portions of their skits. Teams also presented an emblem artwork highlighting their co-captains and their skit themes.
Results from those categories were announced toward the end of Saturday’s festivities, with the teams tying in the 5-point songs and posters categories, while judges awarded the Blue team 3 points for its emblem.
Both teams debuted their skits and gym tumbling routines on Friday night. The Red team performed a spoof of the 2015 Pixar film “Inside Out,” in which the lead character, played by Co-captain Noelle Coyne, explored her memories and emotions while preparing for college. Fellow Co-captain Madeline Woo portrayed the emotion Joy.
The Blue team’s performance took Co-captains Kiera Gunn and Charly Testerman to “Barbie Land,” led by Barbie herself. Lessons were learned and memories were made as they were introduced to iconic dolls dressed for different careers, such as hairdressers and police officers, showing that girls can be whoever they want to be, just like Barbie.
Judges announced Saturday that the Blue team had earned best skit, best props and four of the five dance categories, totaling 24 points. The Red team collected 6 points for best costumes and the tap dance portion of the routine, along with 5 additional points for the stronger tumbling performance.
Friday also marked the first head-to-head athletic competitions. The Red team won the fireman and concentration relays, worth 3 points each, before the Blue team responded with a victory in the scooter relay, also worth 3 points. The teams later tied in a scoreless floor hockey game, earning 3 points apiece and giving the Red team a 9-6 lead entering the final day.
“You always have faith in your team,” Woo said. “I obviously did. All of my girls were amazing. They worked their butts off. It was incredible.”
After repeating the skits and tumbling performances Saturday, the Red team extended its lead to 15-6 with wins in the superstar and basketball relays. The Blue team answered by cutting the deficit to 15-12 with victories in tug-of-war and a 20-15 win in the volleyball match.
“It feels so rewarding, just overall, all the work you put in is now rewarded,” Testerman said. “I’m so grateful for all the work everyone put in. We wouldn’t have gotten here without everyone else’s help.”
The teams also tied in attendance, meet decorum and sportsmanship. But the Blue team earned 5 points from the judges for organization, and was declared the overall champion when results from the first two days were announced by Patrick Maguire, the school’s director of physical education, interscholastic athletics and health.
“This is like a dream come true,” Gunn said. “I’ve wanted this since freshman year, and I’m doing this for my grandma. She’s my biggest inspiration. I’m so happy.”
Despite the loss, Red team members embraced one another and friends on both sides, displaying the event’s trademark sportsmanship and camaraderie.
“It was just a great month to hang out with your friends and my friends on the other side,” senior Red team member Brooke Doreste said. “It was still a good experience, and I’m so happy we won tumbling.”
