Throughout the fall and winter the Howell Pompon team is constantly performing around Howell with a variety of routines. They practice 6 days a week for three hours. This fall, they placed 4th at the Mid-American high kick competition in the large varsity category with their Coraline-themed routine. High kick is a competition that they attend every year where the team is required to have 40 kicks from the entire team in unison. High kick also showcases the team’s creativity with the themes and costumes. At the Mid-American high kick competition in 2023, they placed 4th with their The Little Mermaid theme. 

In February of 2023, they won the Mid-American pompon state championship for the first time in Howell pompon history, raising the bar even higher. In 2024, they placed 4th in Division One at the state championship. 

Despite the large size of the team, much of the team says they have a very close relationship. Many of the team members credit their performances to the bond the team has.  

“We hang out all the time … We’re all just together all the time. They’re like family,” senior Natalie Strickland said.

The team credits keeping a close relationship as being a key component to their success. Trust is a huge component of most sports, and the bonds the team builds outside of practice are showcased when the team heads to competitions and performances. 

As the team headed into regionals, the team had high expectations. They were placed into Division One, the highest division and the hardest to get into for states. 

“It puts more hope in the program to do better in the future,” senior Joselyn Brehmer, who was a sophomore when the team won states, said.

Howell HS Varsity Pompon is in Class A as classes are decided by the size of the team. There were plenty of nerves surrounding the states on February 9th, due to it being the biggest competition of the season. Despite having only two weeks to change and perfect the routine from regionals, the team was confident in their ability.

“We’re switching up our routine and making changes, but I think we’re gonna look really good,” sophomore Ella Hassan said.

On February 9th, the team headed to Eastern Michigan University to compete. They ended up placing 5th in their division. As the 2024-25 season ends this February, we look to the class of 2026 to lead the next season.