by Ryan Condon

Fall dance team placed first at States Sunday in the hip hop category, according to senior Audrey Derobert, a captain with senior Caroline Nunberg.

“We all went in with a lot of energy and a lot of passion,” Derobert said. “Despite the fact that there wasn’t a huge crowd, we managed to keep the energy up and really perform the dance,” she said.

The team also found success in earlier competitions this month, including the Tigers’ second place finish in the high school hip hop category at the New England Cheer and Dance Competition Saturday, Nov. 10.

“We missed out on the first place spot by .34 points, but it worked as a motivator for us, and I think that gave us the energy to go above and beyond at States,” Derobert said.

States was the team’s last major competition of the season.

“We had a lot of major setbacks, from serious injuries to other challenges, but that was when everyone stepped up and did their part to make it all come together,” Derobert said.

Most members of the fall team will be trying out for the winter team, according to Derobert, although she said there will undoubtedly be new additions to the squad.

“At the end of this season, a lot of the girls started trying to learn new tricks on their own, pushing themselves really hard even when it hasn’t been asked of them, and that’s going to pay off in the winter,” she said.