Copper Hills drill wins seventh straight title
Mar 20, 2019 04:57PM ● By Greg James
Its seventh title came down to its final performance of the season, the Azurettes kick routine elevated them to the championship.
By Greg James | [email protected]
The grand finale capped off a championship career and season for the Copper Hills Azurettes.
With her team celebrating around her, Azurettes’ head coach Shannon Mortensen announced it was over.
“I am out. It is my last year, and I enjoyed it with all of my heart,” she said.
The 2019 season finished with the teams seventh straight drill championship, a feat only equaled by Bountiful. This season's championship seemed in peril early on.
The Azurettes finished in second place behind the Bingham Minerettes in the Military category. The final tally showed the difference was miniscule.
The Copper Hills routine military routine featured new, never-tried choreography. Military routines are judged on maneuvers, arm and leg movements, and athleticism.
“Hard work, constantly thinking outside the box, and being willing to try new things and innovate made us the team we are,” Mortenson said.
At one point in the military routine, several team members formed a circle in the center of the floor, bent over at the waist and two dancers ran across their backs. The routine drew a boisterous response from the crowd.
The judges’ sheet for the dance routines emphasize jumps, turns, athleticism and transitions. The more participants that complete the skills equal more points for its team. The Azurette dance routine came from the Bonnie Tyler hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” from the platinum album released in 1983. The routine featured an aerial section that elicited a huge roar from the fans in attendance. In succession every girl landed the stunt.
When the dance results were announced, Bingham and Copper Hills swapped positions, a virtual tie existed in the standings. The final results rested completely on the team’s final event.
As the kick routine scores were announced, each team stood anxiously waiting. Bingham placed third and Copper Hills first to earn them their seventh straight title.
“This was so amazing,” team captain Regan Reeves said. “We have worked so hard.”
Its final number include excerpts from the fortnite floss and several styles of kick routines, including sidekicks and a boxing style kick from the performers’ knees.
The kick routines are judged on the variety of kicks, formations and the athleticism of the performers.
Bingham finished second, Layton third and Pleasant Grove fourth.
Copper Hills captured the Region 3 title as well as the championships at the Salt Lake Valley Classic and Rocky Mountain Invitational.
“It’s hard to put into words the impact Shannon has had on my daughter, Ashley,” Carolyn Nope said. “She has learned so many life lessons from her that have shaped her into the pperson she is today. She taught her to commit to what she wants, work hard for it, don’t quit and never apologize for success. We could not ask for a better role model for our daughter.”
