![Game, set, and match. Corbin Atchley, sophomore, high fives Sanam Sidhu, freshman, after a rally with other club members. “I just joined [the club],” Sidhu said. “[I heard about it] on Instagram, they always post about it, I’ve been wanting to come. My parents used to play [net sports] too and they taught us, and then I learned from my brother.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MG_7715-2-1200x800.jpg)
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![The teams prepare to start another play with just a few minutes left in the first half. The Lions were in the lead at halftime with a score of 27-0. At half time, the team went back to the locker rooms. “[We ate] orange slices,” Malos said. “[Then] our team came out and got the win.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2385-1200x800.jpg)
The mark of any great team is that it is well balanced in every aspect of competition. This year the Debutantes display such balance, placing in the top three of every competition in all three categories in which they compete: Modern, Pom and Kick.
“We have had so much success in competitions because we have long practices and work really hard,” Kelsea Pinkston, senior, said.
On Dec. 3 at Santiam High School, the Debs once again blew away the competition in the Modern category. They claimed first place with a score of 80.22, edging out second place Canby by more than two and a half points. It was the third time this season that the Debs have taken first place in Modern.
“Our coaches strive to expose us to different styles of dance from early on in the season,” Rachel Sliger, senior captain, said. “The studio we take classes at during the summer focuses a lot on gaining experience in a wide range of genres.”
The Debs conquered the Kick category at the Category Champs meet at Reynolds High School on Dec. 10. Again, it was the third time this season that the Debs have grabbed the first place trophy in this category.
“Our biggest competitors at state are Parkrose, Clackamas and Canby,” Pinkston said. “Our ultimate goals are to improve and do our best at state!”
If the team is to improve upon one aspect of its showcase, it would be in the Pom category. After earning first place in their first meet at David Douglas High School on Nov. 5, the Debutantes have placed second behind Lake Oswego in four competitions since.