River Ridge at State
River Ridge Dance Team members are, back row: Maya Harvey, Jiah Bailey, Olivia Breuer and Hunter Kisting. Middle row: Alison Hein, Karli Wachter and Madison Stagman. Front row: Franci Gates, Coach Kristin Collins, KayLynn Knight and Hope Schier. (Submitted photos)
The River Ridge Dance Team performs during the regional competition which earned them their first trip since 2003 to the State Competition at the La Crosse Center on Saturday, Feb. 6. The team finished 10th at the State Competition.
River Ridge dancers 10th in state poms
On Saturday, Feb. 6, the River Ridge Dance Team attended the WACPC State Championship held at the La Crosse Center. The team competed in the Division 5 pom category. The girls placed 10th in the state for their division.
Qualifying and dancing at state for the dance team is a great accomplishment that hasn’t happened at River Ridge since 2003.
“The week of state competition, the girls were very dedicated and put everything they had into practices. We had practices every night possible, for longer than normal. The girls also practiced before they performed at the basketball games,” said Coach Kristin Collins.
The team traveled to La Crosse on Friday night and stayed at a hotel so that they were able to get a good night’s sleep before the competition and so hair and makeup could be done prior to arriving at competition. Friday night, the team had team bonding time by going out to eat and just relaxing.
“It is fun to see how well the girls all get along and how easily they can laugh at one another,” said Coach Collins. No matter where we are at or what we are doing, they are always laughing and having a great time.”
The team arrived at the La Crosse Center around 7 a.m. on Saturday, ready to go and ready to dance.
“This time around, the girls seemed more excited than ever and not as nervous as they did at regionals. They didn’t let the pressure of ‘state’ get to them. They were so happy that they made it to state that they wanted to go out there and give it their all and just have fun,” Collins said. “That’s just what the girls did when it was time to shine. They went out on the court with confidence and danced their hearts out. They are such a great group of girls to work with and I couldn’t be more proud of their routine and how well they did.”
The girls are grateful for everyone who supported them and wished them luck throughout the week. Collins also shared her appreciation for all the parents and fans who came to cheer the girls on Saturday.
