It may not have been quite the finish that Lebanon’s Explosion Dance Team has gotten used to in recent years, but the Warriors overcame some big hurdles this season to walk away with two third-place trophies from Saturday’s OSAA Dance/Drill State Championships in Salem.
Lebanon has finished first or second in the 5A division every year – other than the COVID shutdown – since Coach Megan Lofton took over in 2019.
This year, Lofton said, she attempted to retire but it didn’t work out. She was named the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce’s Junior First Citizen earlier this month in recognition of her participation in a wide variety of community activities, including the Strawberry Festival parade and downtown events through the Lebanon Downtown Association. She also volunteers with an elementary school multiple times a week, all while working full time and raising her two young children.
But, Lofton said, “things just were not working out well” for the dance program at the high school, noting that her replacement coach left midway through the football season.
“They were kind of scrambling to find someone to take the program over.”
She agreed to return on an “interim” basis.
“They needed routines,” said Lofton, who started with the Explosion as its choreographer, right out of high school, before moving up to assistant, then to head coach. “I had longstanding relationships with these kids and their parents,” Lofton said. “Honestly, because everyone has their own process, I felt so far behind.”
One positive: She had experience to work with.
This year’s team has five seniors – Kaiyah Allen, Bryce Barber, Alley Gutierrez, Ilikea Howerton and Addison Raymond, – and six juniors, Addison Baldwin, Taylie Dalebout, Inez O’Driscoll, Lucy O’Driscoll, Callie Steinhebel and Sophia Vitali.
Sophomore Addison Keene and freshman Reese King rounded out this year’s roster.
“That was so helpful,” Megan said of the returnees. “They knew how things ran, how to operate when I came back, even though we were behind. They knew the slack had to pick up and they knew what they wanted to do.
“My goal was just to qualify for state. I never thought we would be as competitive as we were.”
Lofton put together routines for the Explosion in the Pop and Jazz competition divisions, which are the ones Lebanon had been highly successful in over the past several years. She got help from her assistant over the past few years, Trinidy Immel.
In the Jazz competition, dancing to “Dream On,” they were third with 79.14 points in a fairly close points race won by Silverton (82.06), with Canby second (81.17).
In Pom, it was even tighter at the top, with West Albany first (81.31), followed by Parkrose (80.69) and Lebanon (79.36) in an 11-team field.
“It was kind of a crazy season,” Lofton said. “I’m thankful for the help from all the parents.
“I really didn’t expect to place as high as we did.
“Everyone stepped up to the plate.”