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OREM — Chelsea Divine knew the potential of her Hillcrest drill team at the start of the season.
It was the potential of plenty of Huskies drill squads — called "HD" for Huskie Drill around campus — that had eluded them for eight years: a championship.
The drought is over.
Hillcrest finished first in dance and second in both military and show to finish first overall at the 4A state drill competition Thursday at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University.
"This is the dream team," said Divine, a former dancer with Odyssey Dance Theatre who coaches the Huskies with her brother Carter Williams, a top-six finisher on season 17 of "So You Think You Can Dance." "They are the hardest workers I've ever coached; all in, no one was selfish. And they did it for each other."
It's Hillcrest's first state title since 2016, and eighth in program history — the seventh-most across all classifications since the Utah High School Activities Association sanctioned the state competition in 1983.
Snow Canyon placed first in show and second in dance to finish second overall. Ridgeline, Desert Hills and Sky View rounded out the top five from a finalist group that also included Stansbury, Jordan, Green Canyon and Cedar.
3A drill
Canyon View continued its run of dominance at the 3A level with a third straight state title.
The Talons' three-peat was paced by a first-place finish in military, and a second-place finish in show with a unique performance inspired by the soundtrack from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
It's the fourth title overall for Canyon View, all since 2011.
Juab finished first in dance to place a runner-up finish, with South Summit, Union and Morgan rounding out the top five from a finalist group that also included Ogden, Manti, Richfield and Juan Diego.
2A drill
One of the winningest programs in state history climbed back to the top with a thorough performance in all three disciplines in 2A.
Duchesne's once-powerhouse program claimed two of three disciplines, and finished second in show, to earn the program's first state title since 2018.
"These girls had a really special bond with each other, and they were able to lift each other all the time," Duchesne coach Kellee Grant told KSL.com. "They wanted to work for themselves, but also for each other and put the team first. It wasn't about an individual, but always the team.
"We have some amazing technical dancers this year, but we have a lot of girls who had never danced before. But no one made themselves feel better. They were always there to pick each other up and cheer each other on. That encouraged everyone to get better."
It's the first championship since the Talons won a state-record 15 straight from 2004 through 2018, a mark that still ranks as the longest title streak in UHSAA history.
Duchesne's 16th title overall is the second-most in the state, trailing only Bountiful (21).
Reigning state champion South Sevier finished second, followed by Beaver, Kanab and Enterprise in a top five from a group of finalists that included North Summit, Gunnison Valley, Grand County and Parowan.
4A state drill
Top 5 Overall
- Hillcrest
- Snow Canyon
- Ridgeline
- Desert Hills
- Sky View
Top 5 Military
- Desert Hills
- Hillcrest
- Ridgeline
- Snow Canyon
- Sky View
Top 5 Dance
- Hillcrest
- Snow Canyon
- Ridgeline
- Desert Hills
- Stansbury
Top 5 Show
- Snow Canyon
- Hillcrest
- Ridgeline
- Desert Hills
- Sky View
3A state drill
Top 5 overall
- Canyon View
- Juab
- South Summit
- Union
- Morgan
Top 5 military
- Canyon View
- Union
- Morgan
- Juab
- South Summit
Top 5 dance
- Juab
- South Summit
- Union
- Canyon View
- Juan Diego
Top 5 show
- Morgan
- Canyon View
- South Summit
- Juab
- Union
2A state drill
Top 5 overall
- Duchesne
- South Sevier
- Beaver
- Kanab
- Enterprise
Top 5 military
- Duchesne
- Kanab
- South Sevier
- Beaver
- Parowan
Top 5 dance
- Duchesne
- Beaver
- South Sevier
- Kanab
- Enterprise
Top 5 show
- South Sevier
- Duchesne
- Beaver
- Enterprise
- Kanab
