ST. GEORGE — Enterprise High School’s drill team finished second in state at the Utah High School Activities Association 2A state drill team competition Saturday in Orem.
Enterprise assistant coach Ashlee Humphries said after performing each of their three competition dances Saturday, the EHS “Wolverines” appeared to be deadlocked with Duchesne, with the two schools having an equal number of points.
“Duchesne had placed second, second, and third. We had placed third, third, and first, putting us in a tie for the state championship. It would literally come down to ranking points to decide between first and second place,” Humphries said, adding, “Ten minutes took an eternity as we waited for the final results.”
Ultimately, Enterprise lost the tiebreaker and ended up taking home the second-place trophy, with Duchesne winning the 2A title. Kanab placed third, Gunnison was fourth, and North Summit took fifth.
Nevertheless, Humphries and head coach Trinilee Christensen said they were proud of their team’s performance.
“I am so proud of the girls! They have worked hard and it paid off,” Christensen said.
A couple weeks earlier, on Jan. 20 at Parowan, the Wolverines had captured the 2A South regional title, placing first in military, first in dance, and second in character.
“We were in a really good position going into state,” Humphries said, adding, “We woke up the morning of state and just put our heads down and went to work. Most of our team is comprised of first-year members, and they were able to handle the stress and pressure really well. I’ve always been impressed with this team’s ability to focus in tough situations.”
Christensen said the team’s few returning members helped mentor the newcomers throughout the season.
“The few returning dancers on the team were great leaders and helped settle the other girls’ nerves, so everyone was able to go dance and just enjoy the experience of dancing and representing our school and community at state,” Christensen said. “It was so fun!”
“The day went very smoothly, all things considered,” Humphries said. “We had a slight hiccup in military, but other than that, the dances were very clean and precise.”
The Wolverines’ character routine, which featured the team’s 10 athletes dressed as sailors with caps, flags and life preservers, proved to be popular with audiences and judges alike. Still, Humphries said there were some tense moments of uncertainty before Enterprise was announced as the winner of that category.
“Trin and I were shaking so badly; we knew it was anybody’s game and that the scores were going to be really close,” Humphries said.
“They announced the second-place team in character and our names still hadn’t been called,” Humphries said. “We were stressing because we were literally thinking, ‘There’s no stinking way that we were first in character. We must’ve not even placed in the top five!’”
“Character has been our ‘struggle dance’ all year, and even though we’d performed it to perfection, the other 2A teams were so incredibly good,” Humphries explained.
“Then, they announced us as the first-place winners in character and we lost it!” Humphries recalled. “The girls were excited, Trin and I were freaking out, and at that point we knew there was a very real possibility that we’d be taking home the state title.”
Another highlight of the day for Enterprise was getting to watch senior team captain Calista Christensen, take the floor perform as a member of the 2A all-state team.
“We’re so proud of her and all that she’s done during her senior year,” Humphries said.
“I can honestly say that I am so so proud of our second place overall finish at state,” she added. “Kudos to Duchesne and all the other 2A top finishers! It was a tight, tight race with no clear-cut winners. We have some amazing talent in our classification when it comes to choreography, dancers and coaches.”
Humphries joined with coach Christensen in expressing their thanks to the team members.
“We’re so grateful for the amazing group of girls we had this year. They are passionate, loving, hilarious and so supportive of the people around them. The culture that they’ve helped to create at Enterprise High will leave a lasting impact on the students there for years to come. They made our first year as coaches an absolute dream,” Humphries said.
The coaches also expressed their collective appreciation for the team’s supporters.
“More than anything, this is a community win. We’ve had alumni, family members, drill enthusiasts, and new drill fans come to competitions and cheer us on this year. Our administration (Rick Palmer and Calvin Holt) showed up to competitions in sailor hats to support our character routine,” Humphries said.
“I know that as an alumni of EHS drill, these girls have represented us so well,” Humphries added. “All those years of not placing at region or state and all the disappointments have been sort of swallowed up this year.
“A second-place state finish has shown everyone that it doesn’t matter how small your team is. It doesn’t matter that your drill team has never been important in the eyes of the judges. All it takes is the right set of circumstances and a whole lot of heart.”
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Enterprise High School drill team members perform military routine during state 2A competition, Orem, Utah, Feb. 3, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News Enterprise High School drill team members perform dance routine during state 2A competition, Orem, Utah, Feb. 3, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News Enterprise High School drill team members perform sailor-themed character routine during state 2A competition, Orem, Utah, Feb. 3, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News Enterprise High School drill team members hold aloft the runner-up trophy after placing second in state 2A competition, Orem, Utah, Feb. 3, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News Enterprise High School drill team members pose with coaches after placing second in state 2A competition, Orem, Utah, Feb. 3, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News Enterprise High School drill team members huddle on floor during state 2A competition, Orem, Utah, Feb. 3, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News Enterprise High School drill team assistant coach Ashlee Humphries and head coach Trinilee Christensen pose with 2A South region first-place trophy, Parowan, Utah, Jan. 20, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News Enterprise High School drill team members pose with school administrators and coaches after winning the 2A South regional title, Parowan, Utah, Jan. 20, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Enterprise Wolverines drill team, St. George News
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