Pom Squad wins two awards at county competition

The Blair Pom squad won the 2nd place team award and 1st place captain award at the MCPS Pompon Championship competition today. The team competed against six other Division II schools at the competition.

Pom's 2/10 competition

Photo: Senior Zoe Bell and junior Amanda Ruiz perform Blair's routine at the competition.

Senior Zoe Bell and junior Amanda Ruiz perform Blair's routine at the competition. Photo courtesy of Nic Lukehart.

Senior Zoe Bell won the captain award, placing in the captain competition for the third time this season. Bell performed the same routine from previous competitions but polished it during practice. "This past week I've been practicing the routine really hard," Bell said.

For the award, squad captains are judged on dance ability, marching techniques, personality and demonstrated leadership, according to the competition brochure.

Although coach Amy Thomas hoped to improve on Blair's 2nd place finish from last year's county championship, she commended the squad and the intensity with which they performed their routine. "They did the routine better than I've ever seen them do it," Thomas said.

Thomas cited minor mistakes in the routine as the reason for Blair's 2nd place finish. "It wasn't a clean routine. We had some mistakes and Clarksburg didn't have any," Thomas said.

Blair's Pom Squad supporters

Photo: Supporters of Blair's Pom Squad filled the stands of the gymnasium at the MCPS Pompon Championship competition.

Supporters of Blair's Pom Squad filled the stands of the gymnasium at the MCPS Pompon Championship competition. Photo courtesy of Nic Lukehart.

Clarksburg High School placed first, followed by Blair at 2nd place and Gaithersburg High School at 3rd. Squads from B-CC, Kennedy, Northwood, Springbrook and Wheaton also participated in the competition.

The Pom squad also won the 2nd place team award and the 3rd place captain award at an invitational competition at Blake High School on Feb. 3. Good Counsel High School placed 1st and Gaithersburg High School placed 3rd at the competition.