The dance team won nationals in Orlando, Florida Feb. 1, for the second time in a row with their Kick routine. 

“This team,” senior captain Lola Shirk said in an ESPN interview, “This team is a family. We put absolutely our heart and soul into this routine, every single practice, every single year, we just come out and we absolutely work our butts off and it paid off.” 

The dance team took home the National Small Varsity High Kick title. This is their fourth national title, but their first ever back to back win, making history for Sion.

“I want to go back and do it again, but I don’t have the opportunity,” senior captain Hayden Zschoche said. “But it just truly was amazing. All that hard work and dedication, all the time we put in, and every single practice where we just push and push and push just made it pay off. It felt amazing.”

Hard work and dedication are truly characteristics of the dance team and is the key to their success according to Zschoche. Even with changing their choreography the night before kick finals, they were awarded a raw score of 98.6375, which, in the dance world, is considered a high score.

“It just shows how much work they put in and how united they are as a team,” athletic director, Avila-Williams said. “I know they had some last minute adjustments to the routine that came pretty late, and the fact that they were all able to adapt and still pull off their repeat win is amazing.”

The team had many goals to accomplish, including winning Kick and making semi-finals for pom and gameday routines. Dance team coach Madison Pincombe expressed how happy she was about reaching the team’s goals.

  “I think at the beginning of the year, we were a little nervous, because the team had such lofty goals,” Pincombe said, “like really big goals, which is awesome, but bringing everyone along to meet those goals can be really challenging, and so we were really happy to see the way that everyone banded together, new people and returners to meet those goals and accomplish every single one.”

The team’s repeat triumph highlights the their talent and reliance under pressure. With another title secured, they reveal how hard work and teamwork pay off. 

“It felt like an indescribable experience and something I’ve never felt before,” freshman Allie Shultz said. “ Knowing that we made an impact and helped the team feels really good.”