Eastlake Dance Team Wins State 4A Title in Pom

The Eastlake dance team became WIAA state champions on Friday after successfully defending its title from last year in the Pom category.

The team went into the competition as District II champions in all three of its categories—Pom, Dance, and Kick. This event qualified Eastlake for the State 4A Dance/Drill Championship on March 23 in Yakima. Last year, the team took second in state in Dance, and won the 4A championship in Pom. This year the team finished third in state in Dance, and earned an exceptional rating in Kick.

Eastlake was able to defend their Pom title, becoming state champions in that category.

The team's coach, Corinne Cope, said: “These students have been working hard since May 2011, practicing 2-5 days a week, attending two summer camps, enduring many 8-hour practices, fundraising for choreographers and beautiful costumes, and competing against very tough competition all over the state. Their commitment to their team, each other, and their coaches really gave them an edge going into the competition. They are truly a Dream Team and we couldn't be prouder.”

The team shared photos from the competition with Patch, taken by team photographer Leslie Keck.