The MHS dance team has been lighting up Bluejay basketball games with innovative routines, performing either at halftime or after the contest.
The girls also compete against other dance squads, and Merrill’s group grabbed top honors in both Kick Line and Hip Hop divisions at Wausau East last weekend.
“We have a young team with a lot of talent,” MHS coach Dorinda Gustke said. “We’ve doubled the size of our team from last year. We just started at the end of November and we’re off to a strong start, although when we go south a lot of those teams have been working together since last spring. It’s a lot of hard work and just fun. Without the monetary support of the community and parents we wouldn’t be a group. That’s huge.”
The team includes: mgr. Mariah Mueller, Molly Roman, Madison Baumgart, Jimmi Weyneth, Sam Brandenburg, Calle Johnson, Alissa Brewer, Sierra Smith, Cassie Schulz, Ciara Steffenhagen, Ashley Plisch, MaKenzie Broeking, Bridget Schmidt, Katie Purmal, Maria Lokemoen, Kayla Alft, Haley Beyer, Ally Gustke, Alisha Scantlin, Sara Skoug, McKenna Marion, Madey Heimerl, Taylor Jahnke, McKinze Wendt, Larissa Jahnke, Ali Zimmerman, mgr. Cassandra Chism and Miranda Jahnke. Coaches are: Dorinda Gustke, Sarah Burkhardt, Sheila Mueller, Erin Swan.
The team will next perform at the Sat., Jan. 4, basketball double-header, and compete on Jan. 11 at UW-SP. Regionals will be held Jan. 25 in New Richmond and state will take place at UW-LaCrosse on Feb. 1.