Moving up to a higher division proved to be an easy task for the RHS Pom-Pon team, placing in the top three in two of three total competitions.

Although the team did not place in the top two as they did last year, it was their first time competing in division I. At their first invitational Jan. 12, the team placed fourth overall and senior captain Christine DiFonzo earned the fourth place captain award.

At the second invitational Jan. 18, the team placed third overall, also bringing in the third place captain award for senior Jocelyn Hsueh and the spirit award for RHS fans.

“Trying to move up to division one is something that this team has been working on since I was a freshman and the fact that we finally made it a�� feels awesome a��,” senior Hayley Egart said. “All the countless hours really have made a difference.”

The team’s three competitions are composed of two invitationals and a county competition. With an array of skills including pirouettes, various jumps and technical transitions, the squad managed to place in the top three out of seven squads at their second invitational at Damascus HS and the county competition out of eight squads at Richard Montgomery HS in their new division.

For many seniors, their last competition was one they wanted to make special. The move from division II to division I was the result of hard work last season, but the seniors welcomed the new challenges that came with moving up to a higher division.

At the county competition Feb. 1, the final and most crucial competition, the poms won third place and the spirit award once again.

“Our school deserved [the spirit award]. a�� I loved looking up at my school and feeling the support. [The fans] were constantly cheering throughout the whole performance,” junior pom Leena Eshack said. Rammy, the RHS mascot, also made an appearance.

“There was such a huge turnout for the competitions and the energy of the crowd always helped to ease my nerves,” junior Kelsey Kovacs said.

Sophomore Samantha Dellenoci was a ballerina her entire life before trying out for the team at the beginning of the year. Although new to poms, Dellenoci picked up the sport quickly and has become a key member for the team. As for her first competition season, Dellenoci said she did not know what to expect.

“I was curious to see how we would do in comparison to other teams a�� because it was the first time we saw their routines,” Dellenoci said. “The atmosphere at competitions you would expect to be really tense, but all the girls on the other teams were really nice.”

The poms team was satisfied with their results in the new and higher division and hopes to place even higher in the years to come, especially now that the team knows what to expect. They also hope to have the continued support of the RHS student body and to keep earning the spirit award.