The Comeback Kids

How the Juan Diego Silverline Drill Team is planning on bouncing back for the upcoming competition season

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All of the girls of the 2019-2020 Silverline Drill Team bonding after a long day at the Epic Dance and Drill Camp.

Second to Sixth to Eighth. The Juan Diego Drill team has had a hard last couple of years. They went from winning region and getting second in state to getting second in region not even placing in state the next two years. People may think that having those kinds of scores and having that kind of luck isn’t a good thing, when in reality the girls on the team don’t see it as bad. They see it as an opportunity to improve for the next year. Over the past two years there have been tons of unfortunate injuries including hip, back injuries, and concussions, but the girls don’t let those sorts of things get to them. They keep their spirits high when it seems like all the odds are stacked against them.

Left to right: Caitlyn Bath, Kaila Morgan, Thais Infante, Clara Arnold, Alissa Lester, Anna Filidore, Sage Hobbs, Sienna Martinez-Huff. They are the officers of the 2019-2020 Silverline Drill Team.

“I was a part of the team when we won second in state,” Captain Alissa Lester said. “Because of that it was hard when we didn’t even place the next year because I was just so optimistic.” Lester finished. The year after the team won second in state everyone was very high spirited. They were all excited to be back on the UVU floor to compete all their dances. They all felt good because the team was getting good feedback on their character routine they had performed at a basketball game prior. When the places were announced, the changes in the girls faces were very evident. They were all so shocked hearing they only placed in one routine. All they knew was that they needed change to place higher for the next drill season.

“The 2018-2019 season was filled with a lot of ups and downs,” Secretary Kaila Morgan explained. “There was a lot of injuries and I think by the time state hit we were all really just unmotivated.” Morgan concluded. Last year the drill team started off really excited about the upcoming year. Then one injury happened, then another, then one more. Due to the injuries they had to respace routines at a competition  the week before region. With all of these unfortunate events, the team morale wasn’t the highest for state. The girls placed 8th and just felt defeated. At the end of the season they were looking forward to riding the rides at Disney World and forgetting the bad that happened last season. The girls worked hard all year and gave it their all and they knew they needed to make the next year one to remember. After the trip all the girls came back and it was time for tryouts again. They all had fire in their eyes and hearts and they wanted the next season to be amazing.

All the girls of the 2019-2020 Silverline Drill Team getting ready to perform at their second football game.

When all the girls tried out again there was this feeling of something new. The team gained nine new freshmen which meant the team had 22 members who all brought something different to the team. They also gained two new coaches who brought a lot of fun and talent to the team. Right off the bat there was a connection through every single one of the girls and they were going to be a force to be reckoned with.

“I was so excited to start coaching these girls,”Coach Jaydee Lester said,“When I saw them at tryouts I knew we were going to kill it this year,” Lester explained. The team started off the season by driving down to Saint George to attend Epic Dance and Drill Camp. At this camp they learned new dances they could perform at football games. When they were at this camp they all bonded so much. They had a late night talks in people’s hotel rooms and just had fun. They also won the Epic Choice award at the camp and it was an amazing start to the season.

The coaches of the 2019-2020 Silverline Drill Team. They are Jaydee Lester, Emma Hubner, and Amber Nielsen

“The season so far is going strong,” Coach Emma Hubner said, “I am really proud of all the work the girls are doing and I am psyched to see them kill it on the floor,” Hubner finished. The team has finished learning all of their dances and they are cleaning every single detail of each one. They are trying to perfect the dances by the November 14th showcase in the main gym. Every morning the girls wake up early to go to practice so they can make sure every single detail of their dances is first place worthy.

This year’s drill team is more united than ever. Every single practice they give every movement their all. They face challenges with an open heart and they are all so excited to show off their dances to the drill community. The team is very optimistic about the rest of the season.The coaches are looking forward to seeing them hit the floor. All of their hard work is going to pay off and they will dance with full hearts.

The competition schedule for the 2019-2020 drill season in order of date.

Please go support the girls this competition season because you won’t want to miss them burn up the dance floor.