After a year of competing virtually, Liberty’s drill team is working to prepare for their first competition of the season on January 8.

This year, drill is returning to in-person competition. This means performing for judges and competing with teams face-to-face rather than recording and submitting videos of their routines. 

In-person competition will be a new experience for much of the team, with only six of drill’s twenty-one members having attended an in-person competition and only four having competed previously. 

On top of this, Liberty’s drill team has a very impressive competition history. As National Champions in the military category in 2016 and four consecutive state titles from 2015 to 2019, they are hoping to continue their legacy. 

“As of right now, we’re not worried about competing,” sophomore officer Nichole Zamora said. “We’re continuing to practice so that we’ll be ready by January.” 

The team typically has two-hour practices three times a week, along with some longer practices on the weekend as competition approaches. Their practices are mainly focused on cleaning up their routines. 

“We’re spending a lot of time perfecting both our kick and military routines, making sure they flow and everyone is doing them correctly and in sync,” junior Taylee Klein said.

Through it all, the team is looking forward to seeing their hard work pay off as well as simply spending time together.

“Competition season will be stressful, but very fun,” Klein said. “It’s a time that we truly bond as a team, and I have very high hopes for our performance this season.”