Tempest Fe-Line: Desert Hills drill team captures Region 9 title; photo gallery

Written by Jeff Richards
January 24, 2019
Dressed as The Cat in the Hat, the Desert Hills High School Tempest Line drill team performs in the kick category at the Region 9 competition, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 23, 2019 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — The Desert Hills High School drill team won the Region 9 competition Wednesday night at the America First Event Center in Cedar City.

Known as the Tempest Line, the Desert Hills team took first place in both the military and dance categories and second place in the kick category.

“What a night!” Desert Hills coach Marcee Christensen said. “I just couldn’t be more proud of my dancers. It truly takes nerves of steel to be on a drill team. They have one chance to come execute routines that have taken months to prepare.”

In the popular kick category, which featured more elaborate or novelty costumes, the Desert Hills performers were dressed as the Dr. Seuss storybook character The Cat in the Hat.

Christensen said her girls enjoyed bringing the mischievous feline to life.

“It’s been a blast channeling that character,” Christensen said. “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the movement, expressions and emotions that help define our version of The Cat in the Hat. It’s definitely been the routine we’ve had the most fun with this year. As a coach, it’s so fun to see our dancers bring our vision and months of planning to life.”

Coming in a close second place overall were the Dixie High School Jetettes, who won the kick category and placed second in both military and dance. The Jetettes sported curly blonde wigs for their lively kick routine.

Dressed as Frankenstein’s monster, the Canyon View High School Talons drill team performs in the kick category at the Region 9 competition, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 23, 2019 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Canyon View High’s Talons, who wrapped up the evening with their Frankenstein’s monster-themed routine, ended up in third place overall, while the Snow Canyon High Eshelles placed fourth and Cedar High’s Mohey Tawa took fifth.

The top four teams from each region qualify to compete in next week’s state 4A championships, scheduled to take place Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center in Orem. As the reigning state 4A champions, Desert Hills will be looking to defend their title. Dixie’s Jetettes won the 3A state championship the previous year, in 2017.

For a visual recap of the many entertaining and expressive performances Wednesday night, check out the St. George News / Cedar City News photo gallery below.

Region 9 results

Overall:

  1. Desert Hills Tempest Line
  2. Dixie Jetettes
  3. Canyon View Talons
  4. Snow Canyon Eshelles
  5. Cedar Mohey Tawa

Military category:

  1. Desert Hills
  2. Dixie
  3. Canyon View

Dance category:

  1. Desert Hills
  2. Dixie
  3. Snow Canyon

Kick category:

  1. Dixie
  2. Desert Hills
  3. Snow Canyon

Individual region honors and awards, by team

Canyon View

  • All-Region Team: Cashly Curtis, Shelby Haycock, Aleesha Adams.
  • Academic All-Region Award: Collette Terry.
  • Team Hero Award: Cheyann Watson.

Cedar

  • All-Region Team: Khari Nielsen, Josie Jenkins, Fallon Montgomery.
  • Academic All-Region Award: Trendee Palmer, Lainee Rosenberg.
  • Team Hero Award: Hannah Blodgett.

Desert Hills

  • All-Region Team: Brinkley Matheson, Mayen Busk, Ali Stum.
  • Academic All-Region Award: Mayen Busk, Josie Staheli, Scotlynn Keate, Kaylee Esplin, Brinkley Matheson, Senisa Zambrano, Emily Shaffer, Ali Stum, Mya Arrey, Hannah Justvig.
  • Team Hero Award: Mya Arrey.

Dixie

  • All-Region Team: MaKall Fabrizio, McKinze McArthur, Deja Nicholes.
  • Academic All-Region Award: Hannah Doherty, MaKall Fabrizio, Courtney Grob, Reilly Harris, Sienna Jones, McKinze McArthur, Deja Nicholes, Kennedy Peterson.
  • Team Hero Award: Rick Ericksen.

Snow Canyon

  • All-Region Team Members: Grace Walter, Logan Johnson, Krystin Welch.
  • Academic All-Region Award: Grace Walter, Logan Johnson, Brooklynn Reynolds.
  • Team Hero Award: Jaynah Pectol.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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1 Comment

  • theMSeagle January 24, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    Good job girls, being on drill is hard work! These pictures are highly amusing, as someone who also danced in high school I remember how theatrical it all is very clearly LOL

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