Overcoming adversity may build character, but for the Notre Dame Prep Pom program, it also builds champions.

Last Friday, the Pom team persevered and won the 2023-2024 AIA Game Day Dance State Championship in Division III-IV Large, but the road was anything but easy.

After some mid-season changes to the NDP Pom coaching staff, the 21-member team briefly contemplated bowing out of the competition, but the team decided to carry on and make the most of their one week to prepare for their five dance routines. 

“It can be hard having so many different grade and talent levels in one 3-minute, 30-second-long dance, but we have a close-knit team that worked together to pull it off,” said NDP senior team captains Hailey Budenbender, Peyton Wilde, Addison Cote and Jade Zagoury. “Each and every girl on the team worked so hard and put so much effort into doing their part to make the dance better. We are so proud of the team and what we were able to accomplish.” 

With rivals ALA Queen Creek, ALA Gilbert and Salpointe Catholic watching, nerves were understandably on edge for NDP Pom during the initial qualifiers, but concerns quickly evaporated once their initial first-place scores were announced, propelling the squad to the final round as the team to beat. With just 60 minutes to tweak their combined routines before the start of the championship round, NDP Pom pulled out all the stops to put together a performance that would ultimately secure them the top spot. 

“We got straight to work as we had an hour to fix all the critiques before performing again,” added the captains. “When we were announced as state champions, we were so excited as we not only beat our rivals, but we also beat and overcame all the adversity that was placed on our Pom program this year.

“This team is truly deserving of this award, and we feel very grateful that we had the opportunity to come together as a team and win a state title and rings!” 

In addition to team captains Budenbender, Wilde, Cote and Zagoury, NDP’s 2023-2024 championship Pom team consists of freshman Faith Kilgore, Lilly Bates, Shelby Katz, Aubrey Barako and Kate Zygmunt; sophomores Presley Wilde, Jeannie Budenbender, Ashlyn Cote, Chloe Holway, Ava Levine, Riley Bleimeyer and Keira Helm; juniors Kendall Knapp, Savannah Katz and Eva Oberholtzer and seniors Reagan Webb and Savannah Paul.

Way to make NDP proud, Pom!