Saint Dominic’s drummies crowned Gauteng Champions
The senior team of Saint Dominic’s drum majorettes, affectionately known as Saints, recently competed in the Gauteng Majorette and Cheerleading Association (GMCA) 2014 Gauteng Provincial Competition.
The competition was held at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan, on Saturday, September 6, and the squad competed in the Large Drill (maximum of 50 girls on the field) and Group Cheerleading disciplines.
The competition hosted more than 22 teams from various schools in the province, with almost a 1000 children competing.
The competition saw supporters being treated to displays of the highest artistic quality by athletes, designed and choreographed by very talented coaches.
This is a sport that demands working as a team, absolute dedication, discipline, innovation and sportsmanship.
The Saints junior team performed very well and were placed third in both the events held on the day.
Laerskool Rynfield were crowned the junior winners of the competition.
The Saints senior team marched both their events impeccably and walked away with a clear win in both, much to the delight of the supporters, and despite a power failure that resulted in a slight delay.
This win together with the previous week’s win at the Gauteng Provincial Competition for Small Drill — which dictates that a maximum of 35 girls be on the field — resulted in Saint Dominic’s Drum Majorette team being awarded the title of Gauteng Champion of Champions.
This team heads to the 2014 National Competition being hosted in Cape Town in October as the overall provincial champions.
Saints have competed competitively for over 37 years.
The team is part of the GMCA and participates in the highest league, Elite, and competes against the best in the country.
St Dominics’s School has two squads that compete — a senior and junior squad.
The senior squad comprises 47 girls ranging from Grades Eight to 12 and while the majority of the girls attend St Dominic’s School, there are girls who attend Boksburg High School, Benoni High School and Hoërskool Brandwag.
The girls are trained by Allan Donaldson and are led by Alexia Papadopoulos.
The junior squad comprises 30 girls, the youngest of whom is in Grade three and the oldest in Grade Seven.
The majority of the girls attend St Dominic’s School, while others attend Freeway Park Primary School.
The girls are trained by Alisha Venter, Chantal Dos Santos and Jenna van Niekerk.
The 2014 leaders are Jayde Polley and Tanika de Grey Birch.
The girls practice on average 12 hours a week as a team going through the displays to ensure that they function as one team.
