With over 200 dancers trying out for All American Kick Company, nine recipients earned the honor.  They are Jordyn Ewing, Karli Anderson, and Kaitlyn Ezell from Bridge City among six other dancers from various teams with Ewing being named All American Miss High Kick.  The Jr All American Kick Company recipients are Ciara Cooper, Alexandra Biggs, Aubrey Hale, Madison Lyons, and Katy Prouse with Prouse being named Jr. All American Miss High Kick.

All American recipient is Captain Jordyn Ewing.  All American Honorable Mention recipients are 1st Lt. Allison Morphew, Lt. Karli Anderson, Lt. Nicole Encalade, Lt. Kaitlyn Ezell, and Pres. Taylor Dishon.  Outstanding Dancer award, the elite dancers at camp, went to Ewing and Morphew.

The Bridge City Strutters are Jordyn Ewing, Allison Morphew, Karli Anderson, Nicole Encalade, Kaitlyn Ezell, Taylor Dishon, Heather Aucoin, Caylee Champagne, Kayla Pruitt, Devon Skidmore, Samantha Morphew, Katie Nation, Sarah Norville, Sydney Shepherd, Madison Woodruff, Alex Biggs, Ashley Cisneros, Ciara Cooper, Aubrey Hale, Madison Lyons, and Katy Prouse.  Director is Cathy Riley.

Seniors - President Taylor Dishon, Captain Jordyn Ewing, lst Lieutenant Allison Morphew

Juniors - Lieutenant Karli Anderson, Vice President Heather Aucoin, Caylee Champagne, Lieutenant Nicole Encalade, Lieutenant Kaitlyn Ezell, Kayla Pruitt, Devon Skidmore

Sophomores – Student Council Rep. Samantha Morphew, Treasurer Katie Nation, Sarah Norville, Historian Sydney Shepherd, Chaplain Madison Woodruff

Freshmen - Alexandra Biggs, Ashley Cisneros, Ciara Cooper, Aubrey Hale, Madison Lyons, Katy Prouse

Escorts - Matthew Wappler, Sawyer Hogan, Haydin Oceguera, Matt Cain, Colbie Prestwood, Justin Ellison

Voice – Jake Dionne

Vice President – Stephanie Shepherd

Secretary – Kim Ezell

Treasurer – Janet Encalade

Public Relations - Amy Skidmore

Fundraiser Liaison – Jana Lyons

The team lost all the costumes, hats, poms and accessories that they would need for football and competition seasons. Gone were the impromptu sleepovers with each other, gone was eating at Gary’s Café after the game, gone was the opportunity to drop by each others houses just to hang out. These young ladies were scattered everywhere, they where living with friends and family while waiting on FEMA trailers or finding a place over the bridge.

Normal became making cookies while sitting on a couch or getting excited because sheet rock was up!

The team also made history with the introduction of it first male team member. James Guest is a senior in Cathy Riley’s (and Strutter coach) English class. Riley discovered that James had a passion for dancing. She decided to ask him to come and perform for the girls during practice one day and James did not disappoint. He was so good in fact that it was decided that he would be a great addition to the Birthday Cake dance. He will be dancing with the girls in the prop routine which they call Birthday Cake dance because they dance on an 18 foot high, three tiered birthday cake built by Morris Norman and other Strutter Dads.

Traveling to the American Dance / Drill Team Galveston Island Festival regional contest, the Strutters performed routines that were crowd-pleasing and show-stopping. Younger teams came to specifically watch the Strutters because they were the example that their teachers wanted them to be disciplined, classy, respectful, and hardworking. The team won every award possible.

The Strutters performed five team numbers in the categories of prop, kick, lyrical, novelty and open. The officers competed in three categories of novelty, lyrical and jazz. The Strutters were awarded a total of 14 team trophies and officers were awarded a total of 7 trophies.

Team awards were: Best in Class, Grand Champions – medium class, second place Best of the Best (49 teams completed in this competition the Strutters scored 8.72 and the winner scored 8.76), second, Academic Team Award (3.6209 GPA), Sweepstakes Award of Excellence, Gussie Nell Davis Award, Best Overall Technique Award, Best Overall Choreography Award, Best Overall Presentation Award, Best Overall Precision Award, Judges Award-Novelty, Judges Award-Prop, Judges Award-Kick, Judges Award-Lyrical and Judges Award-Open.

The officers were awarded the following: first runner-up, Best in Class, Sweepstakes Award of Excellence, Gussie Nell Davis Award, Best Overall Presentation Award, Best Overall Choreography Award, Judges Award – Novelty and Judges Award – Lyrical.

Katelyn Norman was awarded solo finalist, second runner-up, medium category. Sarah English and Mallory Wappler were awarded solo finalist, fifth runner-up, medium category; and English and Allison Morphew were awarded duet, first runner-up, medium category.

The competition team consists of Captain Klacie Norris, first lieutenant; English, lieutenant; Marla Carter, lieutentant; Emily Ginn, lieutentant; and Norman, Ashley Angelle, Lacey Serrette, Tara Townes, Gretchen Hollier, Maci Mathews, Lyndsay Powers, Alyson Smith, Meghan Smith, Wappler, Taylor Dishon, Jordyn Ewing, Morphew, Karli Anderson, Caylee Champagne, Nicole Encalade, Kaitlyn Ezell and Guest.

Assistant Director is Jane Busby.

Click here to see the article on The Record Live.

Click to see the Strutters’s Award-Winning Kick Routine, for purchase from Cathy Wheat Productions.