Graduation Congratulation!

Another beautiful graduation day at Salem Hills High! I thought I was "old hat" at this child graduating thing after having done it once... but as soon as I spied Sierra in that processional, my throat caught and here came the tears! All I could picture in my head was that little curly-haired blond girl who used to RUN away from us as fast as she could to get to Grandpa's house. She's still got the same gruff little voice, ("Know What?") but what a gorgeous young woman she has become!

It was a super day for an outdoor graduation. The rain finally stopped and it looked like we might actually have sun. I know there have been some rumblings about having an outdoor graduation, but NOTHING could match how awesome it was when the "Skyhawk" appeared!

Just as the choir was singing "We are the Skyhawks", a real live hawk started circling right over the graduates. He kind of stole the attention from the choir, but it was so cool to see all the kids start looking and pointing. I figured that had to be planned, but according to the powers in charge, the bird just showed up; not released on purpose, not tame, just came by to say "Congrats" to the kids! I wish I had been able to get a picture of that.

You can't watch your child end high school without a whole bunch of gratitude to the people who helped get them there. Sierra loved her ASL teacher, Mrs. Campbell, thought her English teacher, Mrs. Strange was "so chill", and really connected with her Seminary teachers. Of course, Erin, (Oops, sorry, Ms. Auger) our favorite dance teacher, will forever be a major impact on Sierra's life. We so appreciate Principal Bohling, (a.k.a. Bishop Troy) for giving our kids such a personal connection at school, and never under-estimate the value of having your daughter's boss live next-door to her boyfriend, teach at her school, and know Mom personally.... Thanks much for the extra set of eyes, Mr. Graham!

Sierra & Aubrey

Breanna, Sierra & Samae

And the biggest thanks of all to her wonderful friends! Good kids have good friends, and Sierra has had AWESOME friends. This class had a tough couple of years... as juniors, Salem split off from Spanish Fork, then as seniors, Maple Mountain opened, pulling more kids to another school. Friends since middle school, we were just as proud to watch Samae graduate from MMHS, and Breanna from SFHS, as we were to see Aubrey, Brandon, and especially Phillip graduate from Salem Hills. And thanks to all her new SHHS friends as well: Kacie, Jason, Billy, McKenna, Devanie, Haley, Kacie J.... lots of good people!

Sierra, Jason, Brandon & Kacie

Sierra's "Best" friend since 9th grade would have to be that BOY she hangs around with! And it's about time we got a boy around here! We love Phillip! We had a great time after the graduation celebrating with the whole Sorensen clan.

It was a great day:

Grandma and Grandpa Nielson barely made it back in time for the ceremony - flew in from their trip to Europe just hours before. Tired and jet-lagged... but they were here!

Proud Mom and Dad!


And now we can start the shift from Skyhawk blue to Wolverine Green! Sierra and Phillip will be joining Kaila at UVU this fall! Graduation does mean a New Beginning after all!

A Month Of State Championships!

Wow! It's been a wild and crazy couple of weeks, but SO MUCH FUN!

Sierra and Jada's Drill Teams both qualified to compete at state, with Jada's brand new school, Maple Mountain, sweeping region for the 1st place title. They won every category.

This is the Maple Mountain team right before their dance routine at State. We hosted the team dinner at our house the night before, and it was obvious that in just one year these girls have created a strong cohesive team. Special thanks to their coaches Molly and Marci for working them hard, but helping them be a true team.

Sierra was spotlighted by the Daily Herald at the state championships:

Senior Sierra Poulsen, second from right, tries to focus moments before she and the rest of the Salem Hills High School drill team take the floor to perform their kick performance during the Drill Team State Championships at the McKay Events Center in Orem Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald

And then... "Our Boy", Phillip, Sierra's main squeeze, powered through region, sectionals and finally state championships to win STATE! This photo says it all:


Salem Hills' Phillip Sorensen reacts after defeating Box Elder's Sean Smith in the 4A 189-weight bout during the championship of the 2010 UHSAA State Wrestling Tournament at the McKay Center on the campus of UVU, Friday, Feb.12, 2010. PATRICK SMITH/Daily Herald

Phillip Wins!
First Ever STATE CHAMP for Salem Hills High School!
How's that for the record books?? We were there with a whole contingent of Phillip's family and friends, and let me tell you, we screamed our heads off! It's been a few years since I lost my voice at a sporting event, but this one was worth it! Phillip said afterwards that he wanted to vault the railing and come right over to where his cheering section was, because we were all front row and center, but he had to maintain dignity and go through all the proper channels before he could come out and see us. I had a hard time deciding which was my favorite part... when he picked up his Mom and hugged her, or the big embrace with his Dad where both of them were crying. What a great night!

Here are the news articles from both events:

KICK!

Line Up

Sierra Poulsen tries to focus moments before she and the rest of the Salem Hills High School drill team take the floor to perform their kick performance during the Drill Team State Championships at the Events Center at UVU in Orem, on Friday. Both 4A and 5A schools from across the state gathered in Orem to perform military, dance and kick routines for judges, hoping that countless practices paid off. In the moments before taking the stage, team members attempted to gather their thoughts and focus on the performance ahead. "Your adrenaline is going a thousand miles an hour," Poulsen said. "Thinking of all the hardships, all the work you've done and hoping it pays off." Once on the floor, Poulsen says the rest is automatic muscle memory after the repetitious practice the teams go through. "I came off the floor not remembering what I did," she said.

Utah State 4A Wrestling Finals

Overall, it was a great final night for Utah County. It was also a year of first, as both Maple Mountain and Salem Hills crowned their first state champions in school history.

Britain Carter decisioned Salem Hills' Spencer Davis 8-2 at 103 for Maple Mountain, while the Skyhawks' Phillip Sorenson shut out Box Elder's Sean Smith 4-0 to bring home the gold at 189.

"It feels great," said the freshman Golden Eagle grappling star. "It was the toughest season I've ever had in wrestling."

Sorensen was probably the unlikeliest of the county champions after finishing fourth at the Southern Divisional tournament last week. None of his matches were easy, as he won a pair of single-point decisions in the first two rounds. His "easiest" match was his 5-0 win in the semifinals against Mountain Crest's Joseph Carley.

Sorensen's chief weapon is his tilt from the top position, which he used to turn previously No. 1-ranked Steve Hendriks in the quarterfinals, Carley in the semifinals and then Smith in the championship finals.

"It's something that I learned as a sophomore and have used ever since to get some points in my matches," said the Skyhawk senior. "It's indescribable. It's the best feeling that I've had in my life to be a state champion for Salem Hills."