Valley dancers net thousands

WASLLA — The 2014 Alaska Spirit Coaches Association Competition was two full days of dance and cheer competitions at Chugiak High School.

The Friday night dance portion of competition featured more than 50 competition routines from all over the state. Students from the Valley and Sonja’s Studio of Dance took the top awards sweeping the Senior Category with first, second and third place.

First prize of $1,000 went to Sarah Latta from Mat-Su Central School; second prize of $500 went to Bailey Bartgis from Mat-Su Central; and Shelby Chernick from Colony took home a third prize of $250.

Marites Aragona took first for her youth solo and Faith Berg took first place for her solo in the Junior Category. Alyssa Schoeneberger took first in Senior Jazz Solo with Haley Lake hot on her heels with second place in the same category.

Britany Johnson took first place in the Adult Category and The Alaska Pride Drill Team “Prominence” also took the Grand Champion award holding onto the title for the studio for the fourth consecutive year.

In the Senior Jazz Team Category Alaska Pride Drill Teams took first and second , in the Open Category first place and first place in the Team Senior Hip Hop Category. Madison Riley and Yazmean Inman took first in the Duet Junior Jazz Category and Gracie Hubbard and Marites Aragona took first in the Duet Hip Hop Youth category.

Oct. 25 was a full day of Cheer with Alyssa Schoeneberger who is a student at Mat-Su Career Tech and is a varsity cheerleader for Palmer High School and trains in the cheer, tumbling and dance program at Sonja’s Studio took home $500.

It was a great weekend for all the participants involved. A big thanks to all the Instructors at Sonja’s Studio, Candice Lownes, Shannon Navoret, Katie Oloughlin, Jamie Metcalf and Coaches Jessica Atkinson and Kristen Olson for the Alaska Pride Drill Teams and Coach Ashley Harman for Varsity Palmer High Cheerleading and Alaska Pride Cheer Coach.

A total of $2,250 in scholarship money was awarded to Valley students. All money is used for continued training or higher education. As a community we are proud of these girls’ accomplishments.