Whether it be the summer practices, Friday night lights or competitions leading up to their success, the Brighton High School varsity pom team’s season of consistent hard work culminated in a team of multiple-time national champions after winning first for their Large Varsity Team performance for the second year in a row. The team’s score of 91.66 also set a school record. They also scored fourth with a score of 98.98 in the Large Varsity Pom category.
While the championship took place in late February, the dancers had been working since mid-summer in order to be the best athletes possible in their allotted time frame.
According to team captain Jorah Heikkinen, “Our whole season leads us up to Nationals, so we work very hard in the six to seven months we have together. We have Choreo Week in July, where our choreographer, Brandi Tucker, comes from Texas and teaches us both of our routines.”
During Choreo Week, Heikkinen said, “We hear our mixes for the first time, find out our themes, and Brandi gives us a ton of motivation for our goals that year. We go through camp, football season, weekend practices, regional competitions, all leading us to Nationals. Through our season, we gain lots of knowledge, excitement, and courage as a team, but we all know the season wouldn’t be the same without Nationals.”
Mackenzie Witte, the other team captain, shared a similar sentiment in the importance of winning Nationals as a team. “All year, we talked about wanting to retitle and that being the ultimate goal, so as soon as we stepped foot on the stage every time we performed, we knew what had to be done, and we weren’t going to let anything get in the way. With that being said, being confident in ourselves and committing to our routines really guided us through this season and helped us reach our end goal,” Witte said.
In addition, Witte also pointed out that the team couldn’t have been nearly as successful without the help of 21-time national champion choreographer Tucker.
“Without her, none of this would be possible today. She truly has helped all of us girls grow as dancers and as people. She has pushed us out of our comfort zones and taught us the importance of performing and what it takes to be the best you can be,” Witte said, expanding her gratitude to all those who supported the team.
The team also couldn’t have arrived ready for nationals without the help of dedicated coaches Kendell Gessler, Jenna Belian and Camryn Tyler.
Heikkinen, speaking on behalf of her team, said that she is “so thankful to have these three strong women as our mentors and coaches. They always see our potential and never fail to hold us accountable when we aren’t giving as much as we should.”
Ultimately, for Witte, arriving at Nationals was “truly a surreal experience, and a feeling like no other. It’s constant chaos having so many incredible teams and dancers surrounding you.”
Heikkinen echoed the awe Witte experienced, describing winning as “a feeling like nothing I have ever felt in my 15-year dance career, and I know a lot of my teammates can attest to the same thing.”
“It’s so special, and what makes it even better is seeing your team just as proud and amazed as you are because the blood, sweat, and tears was really worth it after all,” Heikkinen said.
