Pom had an impressive season after placing first at the Oklahoma Secondary School Activites Association, OSSAA, game day pom competition and followed up with placing second in the nation on Feb 5.
“The feeling of getting that medal was amazing because I haven’t gotten a medal at nationals since my freshman year,” senior Addison Bodine said. “So for me to achieve this my last year and with this special group was something I am glad to say I accomplished.”
Nationals is the highest level for high school pom, where teams all across the country determine who has the best squad in the country at their level, so naturally, the seniors wanted to go out with a national placing to end their pom careers.
“To see in previous years what it took to make a champion, we all knew that it would take hours of work every day to make sure that we could compete well with so many talented squads and it ended up paying off,” Bodine said.
Some members of the team had loved ones come down to support them as they competed. Bodine brought her two siblings, Jackson and Trinity Bodine, with the addition of her parents, Wesley and Sheri Bodine.
“It was absolutely amazing to see all of her hard work pay off,” Sheri Bodine said. “She has been doing dance her entire life, so for her to get to use all that she knows and have it contribute to an accomplishment like that, I honestly couldn’t be any more proud.”
Not only was this a huge deal for the seniors on the squad, but also the underclassmen on the team as they wanted to prove that they were ready and deserving of this achievement. Sophomore Camdyn Bennett is another member of the pom squad and shared what was like getting second in the nation for her and how important it was.
“The victory we were privileged to share with each other was satisfying and gives a boost to work even harder to continue our victories,” Bennett said. “The feeling of hard work and an effort to do everything we can to be our best is satisfying enough, but seeing the love and getting to share that with others is the best part.”
The head of the pom program is teacher Samantha Manke. She has been a part of the program for the last four years, with her first year being the co-sponsor and the last three the main sponsor and she was there to support her girls as they took second in the nation.
“It was indescribable,” Manke said. “The amount of work and dedication it takes to have that success is something few people truly understand. I gave my girls the biggest hugs to show how proud I was of them.”