First Ladies continue to take home awards

Football and basketball season performances may be long over, but the Whitehouse First Ladies Drill Team has been very busy with dance competition season, winning many awards and special recognition. Shelly Johnston is the director of the First Ladies. Officers are Captain Dru Dawkins, First Lieutenant Rachel Lunsford, and officers Sam Draper, Rachel Marble, Codi Potter and Laura Viergever.

The drill team competed at the Gussie Nell Davis Classic hosted by Kilgore College and was voted "Most Outstanding Team." They were named "Best in Class" winner in the large team division and First Runner-Up "Best of the Best" for all divisions. They also won the "Sweepstakes Award of Excellence," "Judges Award" for their jazz, novelty, and lyrical routines and the "Gussie Nell Award of Excellence" for receiving a 90 or above on all routines entered. They received additional recognition for "Best Overall Technique," "Best Overall Presentation," "Best Overall Precision" and "Best Overall Choreography."

In addition to the team, the officers competed with three routines and won "Best in Class," the "Sweepstakes Award of Excellence" and the "Judges Award" for all three routines. The officers also received special recognition for "Best Overall Technique," "Best Overall Presentation," "Best Overall Precision" and "Best Overall Choreography."

Officer winners: Rachel Lunsford, Dru Dawkins and Laura Viergever show off their solo and duet awards.

In addition to the group routines, the officers each entered a solo of their choosing with Dru Dawkins being named the Solo winner of the entire competition. Laura Viergever placed third and Rachel Lunsford placed fifth with their solos. Dawkins and Lunsford also entered a duet and were voted "Best in Class" for that performance.

The First Ladies later competed at the Starmakers Dallas Area Dance/Drill Extravaganza where they came away with many awards including being named to the "Circle of Stars" and earning a "Perfect Sweepstakes" having received a 90 or above on all routines entered. They received a Gold Star for their jazz routine and a Silver Star for both their lyrical routine and novelty routine. In addition, they were given awards for "Excellence in Entertainment" and "Excellence in Showmanship."

Director Shelly Johnston congratulates Dru Dawkins on her solo award at the Starmakers competition.

The officers also competed with three group routines and were selected as one of the top officer teams being named to the "Circle of Stars." They also received a "Perfect Sweepstakes," a "Gold Star" for their lyrical routine and novelty routine and a "Bronze Star" for their modern routine.

They were recognized with awards for "Outstanding Showmanship," "Excellence in Technique" and "Excellence in Choreography."

Capt. Dawkins was named first runner-up of the 100-plus soloists.