“Wow! What an incredible night. Our hearts are so full! This has been a dream of ours for what feels like forever and it finally became our reality! What a way to end this year’s competition season – history made, goals achieved, tears shed and a whole lot of incredible memories to last a lifetime.”

That was the reaction of Viewmont High School drill head coach Kayla Bagshaw after the Vykelles won the state drill championship on Feb. 5 at Utah Valley University. As she said, it was the first time the school has ever won the title. They swept all three categories in Military, Show and Dance to dominate the field.

Those on the championship Vykelles team are Jada Bell, Tessa Bloomfield, Meg Brown, Katelyn Calobeer, Avery Cook, Myah Coombs, Savanna Cutler, Alex Dickerson, Addie Fenton, Sierra Funk, Alexandra Gee, Janey Hadley, Aliza Hammond, Breezy Hayman, Kayli Hilton, Raisa Izatt, Isabel Jorgensen, Macey Kohutek, Macey Kurtz, Katelyn Lindsey, Kenzi McDaniels, Emily Nielsen, Sarah Pitt, Tessa Pitt, Olivia Preston, Sophia Preston, Belle Russon, Lauren Salimbene, Olivia Smith, Ashlyn Thompson, Cacy Tovey, Emily Walk, Eliza Ward and Hailey Williams.

Bagshaw was assisted on the coaching staff by Bailee Hadlock.

“We had the time of our lives out there and are so grateful for the opportunity we’ve had to compete this year,” Bagshaw said. “I honestly can’t even put into words how proud I am of this team! These girls worked so hard for this and it all paid off. The work was worth it and this team is so deserving.”

Bagshaw said that, while they are thrilled with winning state, the journey to get here “is what truly matters most. We grew and progressed together as a team through hard work, perseverance and a deep desire to succeed,” she said. “We learned the value of true teamwork and the importance of loving, trusting and believing in each other day in and day out through every practice and every performance. We also learned to live in the moment and enjoy every second of the process. That is what drill is all about.”

Bagshaw said her squad was overwhelmed with their crowd at state and they all “felt the love.” λ