PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHELY SEIBEL
Hermiston High School’s dance team, Stardust, took “Legend of a Queen” to the next level over the weekend, taking home second place at the 2014 OSAA Dance and Drill State Championships.
The 15 Hermiston students competed in the “5A Small” division against teams such as Silverton, Corvallis and The Dalles. The state championships are getting pretty familiar to the Hermiston team, which has qualified for state each of the past four years.
The team took third place in the 5A Small division in 2012, and in 2013, they were sixth in the 5A Intermediate division. The coaches knew they were in second place going into the championship round, but Hermiston head coach Ashely Seibel said they debated telling the team the ranking because it could either discourage the girls or light a fire.
“I took a gamble after a unanimous team vote determined a desire to know if they weren’t in first,” Seibel said. “We told them and told them that a first was in their grasp but that they would need to fight hard.”
Going into the finals, The Dalles trailed Hermiston by only two-tenths of a point.
“I think we saved our best performance for last,” Seibel said. “Hermiston isn’t as recognized for its dance team as our neighbor to the east, Pendleton, but I must say that on championship round night my girls went out with a bang and put up a big fight. If anything, we walked away from this championship with people knowing who we are, and that is probably one of the best feelings.”
Although Stardust kept The Dalles at bay, they couldn’t quite pull out a win, scoring 77.28 points to Silverton’s 79.61.
“I know they were excited to place in the top three, but I also know there was a sliver of disappointment as first was so close,” Seibel said.
The road to the championship is a long one. From the athletic department to the costume designers, the coaches to the parents, a competitive dance team takes an army of support. Several choreographers create the routines, and musical director Jerry Moore created five drafts of the team’s music before it was the perfect fit.
But for Siebel, the key to her team’s success is its not-so-secret ingredient: motivated students.
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