By Sage Tippie
For some reason, there are those high school sports teams that just seem to be more recognized than others. Almost everyone knows the football players, the cheer captains, or the volleyball stars, but what about the bowling captain? Or the color guard girls? Who knows the members of the cougar spirit team? Each of these teams practices weekly, if not daily, and has earned awards competing in their division.
Cougar Spirit, the sister dance team to The Cougarettes, accompanied by marching band, perform during halftime at every football game. During fourth period each day, Coach Bybee makes sure the girls are well prepared for their performances. The team bonds by attending school events together, like the Suicide Prevention Walk, and through performances at football games. As in previous years, Cougar Spirit will have the opportunity to attend Nationals, a recognized dance competition which is held later in the school year.
“People are not even sure what we do, but basically we are like a mini dance team. I think we deserve more recognition because we all work hard,” Mia Moumdjian, freshman, said.
Alongside Cougar Spirit, color guard performs with the marching band. Color guard’s theme this year is “back to school,” and their routine features props such as giant pencils, desks, and easels. Each morning they run laps so they are in top physical condition for their performances, and every Tuesday night they have practice from 5:30 to 9:00 to review their routine. Over the summer, the team attended a three-week camp to prepare for this year’s performances. They execute flag tosses such as the flat toss, the 45, in which the flag is thrown into the air at a 45 degree angle, and the double when the flag spins two times in the air. Their next competition is in Chino Hills California on Nov. 7, and the following Saturday, the team has a competition at Sierra Vista High School.
“The best part about being on color guard is that it keeps us active and makes me feel like I am apart of something. I’ve also made a lot of new friends,” Katelyn Virgen, freshman, said.
In past years, the bowling team has won numerous state championships and has attended the NIAA sports competition. The team competes in two matches per week during the winter season. The informational meeting has passed, but any students interested in joining can email Coach Gregorich at bjgregorich@gmail.com.
“Bowling is a mixture of being both competitive and fun. Students are required to maintain their athletic eligibility just as they would in other sports,” Brian Gregorich, bowling team coach, said.
The bowling captain, the colorguard girls, and the cougar spirit dance team are all considered athletes on the field, court, or lane as any other student athlete would be.
