Roswell, Sandia Prep bag state dance titles

Mar. 22—Roswell is old hat at this.

Sandia Prep's pretty good at this, too.

The Coyotes and Sundevils were the two dance champions crowned Saturday afternoon inside the Pit as the 2025 State Spirit Championships came to an end.

Roswell, the nonexistent 2020 pandemic season notwithstanding, is having a perfect decade. The Coyotes, whose dynamic and hugely entertaining and complicated routines continue to dazzle crowds and judges alike, won the Class 5A blue trophy for the fifth consecutive season.

That marks a phenomenal 17 titles in a quarter-century with Castro as the Roswell coach.

"We just talked about it this week. I told them, the hardest thing is being in first," longtime Roswell coach Kim Castro said. "I've had years where we were third and second, when (we) finally got first, I thought it was gonna be a wonderful place to be, and it is, but it's a lot of pressure. Once you get there, you are kind of in competition with yourself."

The two highest scores assigned among all the Class 5A routines both were given to Roswell. It was 91.47 and 91.57 — no other 5A dance team scored over 90 — and a convincing victory over runner-up La Cueva.

The Coyotes tallied 183.04 points, with the Bears — who won the 5A cheerleading title on Friday night — next at 176.3 points. West Mesa placed third.

Roswell's routines are high octane, athletic and frequently thrilling — a standard, Castro said, that is a blend of the creativity of the choreography and the work ethic of her athletes.

"We practice six days a week," Castro said, "and they're not lazy. They put in the work."

And, Castro added, under the brightest lights Roswell almost always manages to find another gear.

"You know, if they think there is something on the line, then they're on a whole other level," Castro said with a smile.

Sandia Prep captured the Class 1A-4A title, and with even more reason to celebrate than usual, seeing as how the Sundevils don't have any seniors.

And they're on a nice run. Sandia Prep won a 1A-3A state title in 2022, placed second two years ago, and were third last March as the state shifted to a 1A-4A division.

"It was absolutely a surprise," Sandia Prep coach Courtney Giannini said. "We had really tough competition this year. ... They all brought it, we're just so proud of our team. They did absolutely amazing. They just left their heart on the floor."

The overall youth among her team, Giannini said, enhanced the experience of taking down the rest of the field.

"I think just the dynamic of our team, they really worked hard and became a family," she said. "This past week, we had our state practices, we had clean routines all day long."

And while the future certainly looks promising, the Sundevils were overjoyed to celebrate this validation, particularly after the lead-up to state, when the team would dance up to eight hours a day.

"We hit it so well," junior Sabrina Stefanovic said. "We just had to ... believe that we actually would win. We knew those other teams were also really incredible, but I knew we stood a fighting chance."

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