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Ellison Emeralds Win National Championship - Again
The Ellison High School Emeralds dance team is making national championships look way too easy.
The Emeralds almost always win their specific division based on team size and a year ago, for the first time, won “Best of the Best,” as the overall top-scoring team among all sizes of teams at the American Dance and Drill Team National Competition.
This year, competing again at the ultimate national dance competition March 25-26 at the University of North Texas in Denton, the Emeralds did it again – twice.
On the first day of competition, the dance teams’ officers’ corps competed in numerous dance categories.
The Emeralds officers won in lyrical, jazz, open, and contemporary categories to take the national championship among extra small teams and was also named the Best of the Best Officer Line, the overall national championship for officers.
Three of those officers, senior Colonel Kaylee Parker, senior Lt. Col. Rylie Gawryszewski, and junior Lt. Abby Wells recalled the excitement a week after the event.
Parker said the team knew they performed well and understood on the final day that after winning a national team title a year ago and an officer title this year, that a second team title was not realistic.
“We went in expecting nothing,” said Parker, explaining that really they expected to finish somewhere in the top 5.
Emeralds Director Jenn Zehr said she went into the nationals event expecting a top 5 finish in both the officer and team overall rankings.
“We were proud of what we did,” said Parker, explaining the team’s attitude moving into the awards ceremony. “We knew we wanted to win.”
The announcer began listing the overall rankings beginning with No. 11.
When they got to the runner-up, there was a tie for the second-place position and Zehr and probably most everyone connected to the Emeralds expected to be one of those second-place teams.
When the announcer listed two other schools, they knew they had won another championship – a second team national championship in a row.
“It was shocking,” said Parker. “We were ready to go up when they said there was a tie for runner-up. Then we knew and we burst into tears.”
Photographer John Smallwood captured the moment of pure exaltation when the Emeralds realized what they had done – exhausted, relieved dancers with clinched fists raised in the air, and mouths agape in shocked joy.
“It was a surreal moment,” said Wells. “We weren’t expecting to win it all. We won for the officers the day before. You expect one of the other teams to win.”
“It was a shocking feeling,” said Gawryszewski, who like Parker, was part of last year’s national champion moment.
“We also knew all the hard work paid off. It’s a good feeling to contribute to that,” she said. “It’s just as shocking the second time, maybe more because we had just won the officers. This is a really good team.”
The Emeralds have a small, but hugely talented group of seniors. There are just three. The team brought on five freshmen this year.
“They had a lot to learn, and they were very hard-working,” said Wells. “Everyone was so dedicated, encouraging and positive.”
When the smaller groups, like the three officers were listening to the awards, the whole team stayed together and celebrated together.
“These girls don’t settle,” Zehr said. “During breaks they work to improve. They want to look better. They are a close-knit group. They get along and they are successful.”
“It’s a collaboration,” said Parker. “It’s not just officers. We are well-connected. Everyone wants to improve.”
The team won a “Wow Factor Award” for its kick routine. They also earned team championships for their lyrical, kick, pom, and contemporary dances, were the national academic champion, the national champion extra small group and the overall national “Best of the Best.”
A huge thanks to photographer John Smallwood for capturing these fantastic images of the Ellison Emeralds at national competition