West High’s Drill Team is a star standout during football season and rallies, always entertaining without fail in their shimmering costumes and synced routines. Now entering competition season, the Drill Team has worked hard and continues to impress competition after competition. On February 5 at El Dorado High School, WDAAM (West Drill and All-Male) placed 1st in large dance, small military, small co-ed, and small all-male routines. The following weekend, WDAAM hosted their first home competition at West High, the Street Dance Competition. 

   Some routines performed were pom (dances with pom poms), hip hop, jazz, and co-ed. Member Danielle Wissler (10) is in the pom, large dance drill, medium jazz, and medium co-ed routines and went into the competition confident in Drill’s abilities. She reflected on their practices, and noted “we have worked super hard on all of our routines.” They have run routines and cleaned them multiple times. Cameron Merendo (9) is a first-year drill member in the pom, large dance drill, and small jazz routines, and said that competitions have been super fun. Her favorite parts are “down time in between dances when [she] gets to talk and hangout with the team.” She hopes to make the Street Dance competition as fun as the prior ones have been.

   Dance Captain Leah Sullivan (12) felt “beyond proud of [her] team for pushing themselves throughout this year.” Sullivan, an accomplished drill member, went into the competition feeling “so lucky [she] gets

to perform alongside [her] teammates.” She explained: “Last year with Covid we didn’t have a regular competition season, so having the ability to do what I love with the people I love makes me so content.” What she loves most about competition season is the moment she walks onstage with her team. As it’s her last year in West Drill, she always remembers to “do a team huddle,” where she and the other captains “give a pep talk to motivate our team. After that, we do a drill team chant to get ourselves hyped before we perform.”