Shorecrest Hip Hop 2nd at State; Coach receives "Coach of the Year" Award

The Shorecrest Hip-Hop Team competed at the WIAA State Dance Drill Championships on March 25 at the Yakima Sun Dome and took home 2nd Place in a highly competitive 3A Hip Hop category.

2011 Shorecrest Hip Hop Team

It was a close competition with the top three teams being within four points of each other, each receiving a Superior score rating. Shorecrest received a score of 480 out of 500, just a few points behind first place Sunnyside High School with their score of 484. Pasco High School took third place with a score of 476.

Coach Rex Kinney said, "Teams are judged by five judges and it was just a matter of a half point to a point from a few judges that made the difference in the overall score. The Shorecrest Hip Hop team was disappointed after doing so well this past year but was happy to take a trophy home. The team will look at this as an opportunity to grow and and will be hungry to do well again next season."

The team will have five graduating seniors this year with 11 juniors and three sophomores remaining. Shorecrest will audition new members May 2-6 to prepare for next season. Coach Kinney will look to bring in more underclassmen in anticipation of a large group of seniors leaving at the end of the 2011/2012 season.

Coach Rex Kinney named Coach of the Year

Kinney was awarded "Coach of the Year" by the Washington State Dance/Drill Coaches Association for 1A/2A/3A schools. 

Nominations come from the schools and the award is decided by a vote of Dance/Drill Coaches from the Washington organization. Finalists came from schools in Spokane, Sunnyside, Tumwater, and Tacoma. Kinney has been coaching and choreographing for the team since 2001 and will look to his 11th season with them next year along with community team adviser, Robin Martin.

The Shorecrest Hip Hop team will be performing for Seattle Theatre Group's production of "Dance This" held at the Moore Theater this summer in July. They will have an opportunity to perform with several local and national professional dance companies including the Mark Morris Dance Company.