COSTA MESA : OCC’s Pep Squad Wins Statewide Competition

Orange Coast College’s pep squad brought home a first-place award from the seventh annual California Spirit Championships at Universal Studios.

Eight women competed in the pompon division event, which requires the team to use pompons for at least half the time during a routine, Coach Jocelyn Groot said.

“It was fun,” Groot said. “We practiced long and hard for this competition, and now we have something to show for it.”

Groot said the team’s choreographer, Shawna Bradford, was instrumental in helping the squad capture first place in the event last weekend.

Members of the winning team are Jade Carnett of Costa Mesa, Sandi Loayza and Jennifer Christensen of Orange, Christine Korb and April Parker of Irvine, Evey Gonzalez of Westminster, Diana Ranken of Midway City and Heather Snodgrass of Anaheim.

Tryouts for next year’s pep squad are set for April 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Peterson Gymnasium on the college campus. Both men and women are encouraged to audition, Groot said.

“We’re going to have two teams next year,” Groot said, a co-ed squad of 10 men and 10 women and an all-female, 14-member team.

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