Dixie High’s Jetettes take 4A state drill team title; Desert Hills, Snow Canyon round out top 3

Dixie High School Jetettes drill team performs during 4A state competition, Orem, Utah, Jan. 31, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Dixie Jetettes, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Dixie High School Jetettes drill team won the state 4A championship Friday, sweeping first place in all three categories (dance, military and character) at the state competition held at Utah Valley University in Orem.

Dixie High School Jetettes drill team poses for a team photo during 4A state competition, Orem, Utah, Jan. 31, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Dixie Jetettes, St. George News

Among the 42-member group’s outstanding performances were their crowd-pleasing character dance, which featured the girls dressed as Spanish matadors at a bullfight, complete with elaborate black-and-red costumes and holding oversized fans as props.

The win marked the Jetettes’ third state title in the past five years, and also the seventh-straight year they’ve finished in either of the top two spots overall. After finishing second in 3A in both 2014 and 2015, Dixie won the 2016 and 2017 3A state titles. The following year, Dixie and the rest of Region 9 moved up to 4A classification, with Desert Hills taking the drill state championship in 2018 and Dixie earning runner-up. Dixie also finished second at state last year, coming in behind Spanish Fork.

Region 9 made a strong showing at this year’s state competition, sweeping the top three spots overall.

Behind Dixie’s Jetettes, the Desert Hills “Tempest Line” placed second and the Snow Canyon “Eshelles” took third.

Marcee Christensen, head coach of Desert Hills, was named the 4A Coach of the Year.

Christensen said she was proud of her team’s showing at state.

“The Tempest Line came out Friday and gave our three best performances of the year,” Christensen said. “We are so proud of our growth this season. This team has come so far technically as dancers but most importantly as friends and teammates. They are a very special group and I am in awe of what they have accomplished together.”

Snow Canyon’s team received a special Academic All-State award at the competition, for its athletes having the highest collective GPA of any team in the 4A classification, an average of 3.851.

All three teams had excelled at the Region 9 championships in St. George on Jan. 15, with Dixie narrowly edging Desert Hills for the region title.

“Our region is the most competitive in the state, and Region 9 teams had excellent performances at the state competition,” Dixie head coach Laurel Peterson told St. George News. 

 “This has been an outstanding year,” Peterson added. “These young ladies are incredibly talented, hard-working, and have great endurance and consistency. Throughout the season, they maintained the No. 1 RPI (Rating Percentage Index).”

The members of the Jetettes, listed alphabetically, are as follows: Ella Anderson, Adison Atkin, Brinlee Brooks, Meili Brooks, Ally Cannon, Kate Carter, Chloe Cox, Chloe Davis, Jada Davis, Sadie Dudleston, Serina Dudleston, Macie Erickson, Chazlie Fabrizio, Mckinley Fife, Melanie Grob, Katelyn Hansen, Linzy Hansen, Saylor Hansen, Rylie Harrison, Hailey Hill, McKenna Huber, Livvie Kerr, Ashley Kezos, Kylie Kezos, Kaylee Leishman, Isabelle Martin, Ashley Orton, Britten Peterson, Victoria Peterson, Makinlee Ray, Corrie Stevens, Quinci Rivera, Michelle Tolman, Adeline Torres, Kecia Terrell, Kylee Warnick, Alexis Whitney, Julia Wilkinson, Madison Wilson, Tayli Wilson, Emma Wiser and Iris Zeidner. 

After the Jetettes’ victory on Friday, the girls returned home to St. George later that night, where they received a traditional celebratory ride atop a fire truck, with a procession of honking cars following.

Dixie High School Jetettes drill team performs during 4A state competition, Orem, Utah, Jan. 31, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Dixie Jetettes, St. George News

Peterson expressed her appreciation to assistant coaches Heidi Taggart and Hailey Swensen for their hard work and dedication. She also named several other key supporters, including former Dixie Jetettes Lindsay Hurd and Marilla Erickson, who helped with practices and competitions, and Lindsay Folkman, who choreographed the character dance.

“The costumes and props were a major undertaking,” Peterson said of the character dance, adding that many of the girls’ moms helped with the bull’s head and other props.

“We would like to thank the team’s parents and families, Dixie High School students, faculty, and administration …  for their amazing support,” she added.

State 4A drill team results (top 5)

Military

  1. Dixie
  2. Desert Hills
  3. Sky View
  4. Snow Canyon
  5. Ridgeline

Dance

  1. Dixie
  2. Desert Hills
  3. Snow Canyon
  4. Sky View
  5. Juan Diego

Character

  1. Dixie
  2. Ridgeline
  3. Snow Canyon
  4. Mountain Crest
  5. Desert Hills

Overall

  1. Dixie
  2. Desert Hills
  3. Snow Canyon
  4. Sky View
  5. Ridgeline

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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