McAlester reveling in pom state title success
Jan. 6—McAlester pom members are proud owners of another title — and coaches are proud of the hard work that went into it.
The McAlester pom squad competed in the Oklahoma State Dance Team Directors Association state competition last month, taking the top prize in two categories and second in another.
The team is coached by Maggie Meadows and Kacyn Haney, and Meadows said the team had been hard at work for weeks leading up to the competition.
"Starting three weeks before the state competition, we were practicing at 6:30 a.m. every day," Meadows said. "That gave us almost two hours of practice every day."
McAlester earned top marks to become the 2021 Class 5A Game Day title and Class 5A State Championship while also coming in second in the large hip-hop category. With their latest wins, the Lady Buffs have now won 20 championship titles since the OSDTDA's inception in 1998.
Dances are scored based on different areas of the routine: choreography, execution and technique.
Technique is where the judges' score is based on exhibition of training in ballet and jazz techniques, flexibility and control, while execution is based on how well the team moves together.
Meadows said one of the reasons her team has found so much success is because of how much time and effort they pour into their craft to be able to work as a single unit.
"This team is dedicated their efforts to themselves, their teammates, and their coaches," she said.
McAlester pom members include seniors Abbi Cecil — who was also named as an OSDTDA All-State dance team member — Payden Morgan, Kylie Martin — who was named as a 2021 OSDTDA All-Region dance team choice — Emilee Coxsey and Makayla Oxford, junior Gracie McMahan, sophomores Alyson Dusenberry, Audrey Freeborn, Jasmine Chacon, June Thomas, Madison Williamson and Madelynn Moore, and freshmen Eli Bass, Ella Kate Sevier, Hannah McMahan, Skylee Simpson, Aleira Webber, Nikki Plaxico, Kennedy Heathcock, alongside manager Lanie Nelson.
And although the work and competitions can be grueling, the Lady Buffs still manage to come together in both the best and worst of times — something members have previously talked about in recent interviews.
"We practice a lot, but we also share a lot of words of encouragement. We try to keep everyone lifted up, even when it's tough sometimes," Cecil said. "It's really emotional. Tears will be shed (at competition)."
"It's my favorite season of the year," Morgan said. "It's very stressful, but what we do to prepare is practice, practice, practice. All the time."
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
