When the Lake Washington Dance Team recently assembled onto the court in the Yakima Valley Sun Dome for the state competition, the girls had every intention of bringing home a trophy, and they did just that.

Wowing the judges with an intricate routine that they had been preparing for 11 months, the team brought home a second place trophy in the kick category, one of the three scored areas they competed in.

But what made the win even sweeter for the Lake Washington athletes was that they beat out Hanford High School, the state champions in kick for nine years.

Ever since the dance program at Lake Washington sprouted into that of a competitive, title-winning one five years ago, the team has been a force to be reckoned with.

Ranking within the top three every year following 2007, the team flourished this year, competing against more competitive schools in more difficult categories.

“It’s a lot harder for teams to get to state now,” said Coach Lindsey Beck, who also participated on the Lake Washington Dance team during her high school years. Even with the increased bar, Beck was not only determined to get her team to state, but was determined to shine at the competition.

“We had been preparing for the state competition since tryouts last May” said Michelle Murakami, a senior captain on the team.

Senior captain Molly Shipman said the team practiced over 24 hours per week, meeting six days a week for a month before the competition.

And all the hard work paid off.

The Lake Washington team members won more than just a trophy and a title. As Beck describes, “the whole team found the true meaning of what being a team means.”

“This season has been truly incredible and it is really exciting to see how everyone has grown as dancers,” added Laura Duncan.

An exciting future awaits the Lake Washington Dance Team, especially as they add freshmen to their ranks next year.

Contact Reporter intern Zach Shucklin at zshucklin@kirklandreporter.com