The St. Louis varsity pompon team went to Saginaw, Michigan, Jan. 18, to compete in the regional competition and qualified for State. The scoring system works by each individual team going against a score sheet and teams gaining enough points to move on to State.

Samantha Burt, a member of the team, stated, “I was nervous that the floor was going to be slippery, and I wasn’t going to land my jumps.” Burt also added, “I wasn’t nervous about other teams because we didn’t watch anyone else perform until after we performed. Hemlock was intimidating though because of the worm.” The worm is a difficult move to have on beat. The purpose of the move is to make your body look like a wave starting from your head and moving down to your feet. 

Autumn Bradbury, another member of the team, also stated, “I was most nervous about the different jumps that we had, knowing that the floor was going to be slippery, which it was, and I almost fell after my toe touch. The team that made me nervous before performing was definitely Hemlock. They are so amazing, so watching them not only made me nervous but I also enjoyed watching them practice in the hallway.” It seems that the fear of the slippery floor was a big part of the team being nervous. 

Making it to State was a very close call considering the team needed 75% out of 100% to move on, and they had a score of 75.45%. Amiee Taylor, the St. Louis varsity pompon Coach had something to add, “When the girls took the floor, I was excited for them to perform but nervous as always that the routine would be good enough for the judges. When they announced, ‘now performing St Louis Pom Pom team from St Louis, Michigan,’ I started to tear up and couldn’t wait to see the girls pull it off as they always do once they get on that floor. It’s so much different than our own gym floor. It has some type of magic power that gives the girls the adrenaline rush they need to be snappy, smile big, and bust out the moves better than they ever have.”

The team will be competing at the Michigan Pom Association (MPA) 2020 Championships as well as performing at State Competition. The MPA Competition will be Feb. 2, at Central Michigan University. Their division is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. Their performance time for State has not yet been released, but the event is Feb. 9, at Eastern Michigan University.