The Whitman poms team took home first place in the Division 1 county championship at Montgomery Blair High School on Saturday afternoon after an electric dance and cheer routine.

The energy of the crowd was contagious, with bunches of fans getting up on their feet to cheer on their school’s dance team. After watching the dances of seven other high schools, it was finally the Vikes’ time to shine. 

Although the girls were the final team to perform, they weren’t nervous, said captain Reagan Sanders, a senior. After hours of practice, dedication and hard work, the Vikes had a chance to close out the competition and win the Division 1 title.

The Poms executed their routine flawlessly in white and black numbers, complete with sparkling Whitman emblems on the front. Accompanying that was their staple, blue and black and white and black pom pom combinations. Once again, the Whitman drumline made another incredible performance, helping lead the Vikes to victory for the second consecutive week.

The routines were judged based on four basic elements: choreography, pom elements, dance elements and execution. In each routine, the team must include march, jazz, kick, pom and hip hop. For the march, the Vikes stomped along to the drumline’s beat, then they stepped along to “Sail” by AWOLNATION in the jazz portion. To close out the routine, they used “M.A.A.D City,” by Kendrick Lamar, in a dynamic hip hop piece.  

Last year, the Poms team placed second in the Division 1 County Championship, but this year they came back even stronger. Since the beginning of the fall, the Vikes have been fine-tuning their skills every day. 

After a rigorous season with long practices and routines, captain Sadie Eisenberg, a senior, said that the victory was more special than she could have anticipated.

“The [hard] work made winning feel even more rewarding than I could have ever anticipated,” Eisenberg said.

For both Sanders and Eisenberg, winning felt like an accumulation of four years of hard work and dedication.

“Winning the competition felt amazing for everyone,” Sanders said. “It was the perfect way to end the year.”