Photo: The Troy Middle School Dance Team, here with Dance Manager Olivia Thoele and Coaches Trisha Koerner and Christine Thoele, will be competing at State.
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The Troy Middle School Dance Team is headed to the IDTA, Illinois Drill Team Association, Junior High Division State Competition after doing well in its regional qualifying round competition held December 15 at Seneca High School.
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The team needed to achieve a score of more than 70 to qualify, and they did so in every category in which they entered.
The team scored 75.7 in Lyrical, 75.8 in Jazz, and 76.9 in Hip Hop.
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The team will also participate in a January 5 competition at Maine East High School, but no matter the result, they have already qualified to compete in the IDTA Dance State Competition, Junior High Division, on February 15, 2020 at the Bank of Springfield Center.
This is also the team’s first year with a boy member. Sean Thoele has been dancing since he was five years old and competed with the team in the Hip Hop category.
Team members are 7th graders McKenzie Boyer, Abrianna Contreras, Taea Guseman, Jillian Pranckus, Sydney Prosek and Alaina Rothbart.
Eighth graders are Ava Goodwin, Camryn Gray, Kailey Heyduk, Maliyah Kajdi, Maisie Olznoi, Emily Scott, Sean Thoele and Karlie Werrbach.
“The dancers represented Troy very well and did an incredible job leading up to State,” said Troy Athletics Director Meagan DeGroot.
Coaches are Trisha Koerner and Christine Thoele. Two on the team also received special awards.
“Maisie Olznoi and Abrianna Contreras received the Rising Star Award chosen by the head judge for standing out in the routine,” Koerner said. “This is a high honor for the dancers. Only nine were given out for the entire competition.”
“This year is our first time competing in Hip Hop,” Thoele said, “so we have added a little more to our plate by competing with three dances instead of two, but you would never notice the added pressure. This team works incredibly hard to perfect their technique, encourage each other to do their best and leave it all on the floor. We couldn't be more proud of our team for their dedication and perseverance."
Troy Middle School is a Troy Community School District 30-C school.
