The Hazen Drill Team captured state titles in 3A Military and 3A Pom at the Dance/Drill State Championships March 24. The team also placed fourth in 2A/3A Kick.

“Winning state was pretty amazing,” said Hazen coach Kristin Sargent. “It was not expected, which made the win so much sweeter for the team.”

The team has taken first and second at competitions this season, but it placed no better than second at districts two weeks before state. When the awards were being announced at state, Sargent and the team heard the district-winning teams finish third.

“We said, ‘That’s OK, we finished fourth or fifth. That’s good,’” Sargent said. “To watch them accomplish something they didn’t expect was amazing.”

Hazen finished with a score of 456.5 in Pom, good enough for a Superior rating. It was one of just three teams to earn a Superior rating. The team scored 440.5 in Military and 427 in Kick.

The drill team has 29 members who compete in a 10-month season.

“It’s very much like a family,” Sargent said. “When you’re together that much, you’re not just friends anymore.”

Sargent puts much of the responsibility of running the team on her captains: Elaine Chow, Kelsey Chen and Kristi Kajita.

The team performs at Hazen games, parades, community events, charity events and assemblies throughout the team, as well as competitions.

Sargent, who has been coaching the team for five seasons, said this is the team’s best performance at state ever. Hazen did win a state title in Pom in 2009, but by scores this season’s performance was better.

“Also winning two categories, that just doesn’t happen very often,” Sargent said.

Liberty’s drill team placed sixth in 3A Military. Kennedy Catholic took eighth in 3A Pom.

Tryouts for the Hazen Drill Team begin at the end of April. The team is open to upcoming sophomores through seniors.