Catoosa teams dance their way to state championships
Heritage High takes Pom Division and overall Class 3A-4A state title, while Ringgold wins state in Hip Hop
Judges at the GHSA Dance State Invitational over Valentine’s Day weekend showed a lot of love to teams from Catoosa County as squads from Heritage and Ringgold High Schools brought home titles from Columbus.
Competing against 25 other teams from across the state in the Class 3A-4A Division on Saturday, Feb. 15, Heritage’s 5Star Dance Team finished with the top score and the state title in the Pom category, while Ringgold’s Tiger Girls took the state championship in the Hip Hop category.
Heritage also earned the top overall score across the four dance categories — Jazz, Hip Hop, Pom and High Kick — to be named the overall Class 3A-4A state champions in the first year for the event.
“I am so incredibly proud of this team,” said Heritage team coach Ellie Morgan said in a press release.
Morgan, herself a former 5Star alum, noted that the state championship was extra special to the program now that dance is transitioning to becoming a GHSA sanctioned sport.
“These girls have worked extremely hard all year and they’ve been very motivated to represent their school and to get this title in the first year we’re recognized as a sport,” she added. “As an alumni myself, I couldn’t be more proud of this program and as a coach, their performance out there and this win is a moment I’ll never forget.”
The 2019-20 5Star competition dance team consists of seniors Briley Shaw, Danyelle McNabb, Kylee McGee and Mackenzie Lee, juniors Lydia Forehand, Lindsay Rodgers and Anna Dye, sophomore Darby Gallagher and freshmen Marly Ryken, Susanna Kate Bunn, Emma Kate Shoemaker and Ella Rambin.
Heritage is also coached by Hannah Alexander.
Ringgold coach Amber Wentworth also spoke of the hard work her squad put in in order to earn their title.
“Winning a title at state verifies and legitimizes all of our hard work, which started in May of last year with tryouts,” she explained. “Dance isn’t a sport that you can just get up one day and decide to be good at. It takes a lot of time and commitment to compete at the level on which we do. Winning a state title in Hip Hop verifies to our dancers that all that hard work is worth it and it also legitimizes our sport to other people in our school and community that understand what a state title is.”
The Tiger Girls’ squad features Lily Bates, Sarah Reed, Sydney Owens, Hannah Watkins, Addy Tysz, Selah McWhorter, Shaylee Hester, Jaidan Ledford, Gabby
Tucker and Flynn McElroy.
Ringgold is also coached by Tiffany Groves.
Heritage cheerleaders finish top five
The Heritage cheer squad was also in Columbus this past Saturday for the inaugural GHSA Game Day State Invitational hosted by Varsity Spirit. Each team showcased its best sideline and crowd-leading material in the following categories: Fight Song, Band Chant and Crowd Leading.
Heritage was one of five teams that earned a spot in the Class 3A-4A Division finals.
Morgan County was ultimately named as the state champion in the classification.