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Championship Culture

Avon Dance Team Continues Its Dominant Run

Encore Champions

Avon Accents Continue Their Award-Winning Tradition

CHASING GOLD

AVON BMX RIDER HEADS TO AUSTRALIA FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Avon BMX Rider Heads To Australia For World Championship

Avon Accents Continue Their Award-Winning Tradition

CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE

Avon Dance Team Continues Its Dominant Run

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CHASING GOLD

AVON BMX RIDER HEADS TO AUSTRALIA FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Writer / Melissa Gibson Photographer / USA BMX

He grew up racing quads and dirt bikes as a kid, eventually moving to an indoor BMX track on the east side of Indianapolis to train and compete.

It didn’t take long for Avon resident Wyatt Clark to fall in love with racing, and this summer, he’ll be competing at the BMX World Championship in Australia.

“My first race was at 6 years old, and I just found it more enjoyable than the regular sports like football and basketball,” Clark says. “I liked the camaraderie — the friends I found there.”

While attending races over the weekend, the actual time on the track is about 30 seconds per race. It leaves participants with plenty of downtime to warm up,

cool down, relax and hang out with friends from around the world. They talk strategy too, planning the next heat and swapping ideas.

Today, as a sophomore at Marian University, Clark races on both the state

and national circuits, as well as on a team for Marian, which most recently won the Collegiate National Championship this past spring.

If you’ve never been to a BMX race before, competitions are divided by class proficiency and then by age group.

Racers can fall into novice, intermediate or expert categories. For Clark, he raced in the expert class for the first time at a national competition at just 8 years old, and though he’s earned plenty of first-, second- and third-place finishes over the years, the older you get, the more competitive it becomes.

BMX competitions consist of an open track and a 30-second lap with a variety of obstacles. It can be a simple three-turn, four-straightaway track; however, designed to test speed and skill, some tracks feature hills, corner berms and more, with the option to jump, roll or pass an opponent.

once per month, I’m in a different state, racing and seeing new cities, and the trips along the way are some of my greatest

Having friends from all over the world will come in handy when he travels to Australia this summer, extending his trip beyond competition days, July 16-25.

He has one friend from Indianapolis who is from Australia and also qualified to go to Worlds for his home country. Another member of the Marian team will be

“All of my friends were super excited. A lot of us train and practice together. We work together and push each other to be the best we can,” Clark says.

Representing Team USA, he’ll join 16 teammates to compete against more than 150 participants from across the globe in

As one would expect, earning a spot at the world competition is an impressive accomplishment.

“I was pretty excited. It was one of my big goals for the year. It felt good to make it to Worlds and gave me a boost for the upcoming year,” Clark says. “If you make it to the main at the Worlds competition, you run a world plate for the year.

Whatever place you finish with has a ‘W’ in front of it. It carries some weight. That’s the goal — to come home with a world plate.”

Clark will stay in Brisbane for the championship and then fly two hours to the west coast to stay with a friend.

“It’s nice having friends from Australia. They can help me prepare for the trip, and I’ll get to see both coasts,” Clark says.

He’s going to spend an additional week before the competition and another week after to travel and explore all the continent has to offer while making memories to last a lifetime.

Looking beyond his college years, Clark says he’ll continue to train and compete at his current level until he graduates from college, where he is majoring in mechanical engineering with a

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minor in mathematics.

He hopes to pursue a career in aviation or race engines; however, he may not leave racing behind forever.

“There are little kids competing at 2 and 3 years old and 70-year-old grandparents who race as well. There are groups for under 6 and over 56, but I’m excited to be where I am today, and I can’t wait to visit Australia and compete in the World Championship,” Clark says.

Dr. Velez

ENCORE CHAMPIONS

AVON ACCENTS CONTINUE THEIR AWARD-WINNING TRADITION

Writer / Melissa Gibson

Avon High School’s varsity mixed show choir, the Avon Accents, are back-toback state champions, winning this year’s mixed division competition with their team of more than 60 students.

“Last year [2025] we had an Olympics theme and it went over really well,” Leah Trigg, director of Avon Accents, says. “It became a crowd favorite, so the pressure was on this year to try and match something just as clever and creative.”

The nearly 20-minute show featured a

variety of musical and dance numbers with a delivery theme.

“We started out as mailmen; FedEx, USPS and UPS workers. We changed the words of some familiar songs. For example, instead of ‘Whip It,’ we did ‘Ship It,’ and instead of ‘Jump, Jive and Wail,’ we did ‘Sort, Stamp and Mail,’” Trigg says.

The men performed a country number, “Overnight Mail,” and the women performed “Please Mr. Postman” in

costumes that resembled envelopes and stamps.

“Everyone did ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ together, and we ended the show celebrating letters and invitations with different occasions like Christmas, weddings and parties, and each occasion had a different set piece,” Trigg says. “The audience loved it. It was clever.”

State championship performances come with a lot of preparation, dedication and hard work, and these performers are often

doing double duty in the Avon High School music program and beyond.

“They meet as a class four days per week and then after-school rehearsals are between two and six hours, with an eight- to 12-hour Saturday too,” Drew Stainbrook, co-director, says.

Practice begins in early September, but students are performing in other choir concerts too.

“Our musical is at the beginning of October, so we practice for show choir twice per week, and then when January hits, it’s three days per week and several all-day Saturdays,” Trigg says. “But they are able to do other school activities too. We have lots of athletes, students in clubs and more. They’re here a lot and very busy, but they have a life outside of show choir too.”

The students don’t seem to mind.

They’ve found their “home” in show choir and have opportunities to travel to competitions, learn and socialize through music.

“They’re all best friends and very close. The coolest thing for me is seeing the final product and how fun this is for the kids to perform. Competition is fun, but the performing itself is what I love,” Trigg says. “That’s why we’re doing this. They work for something bigger than themselves. It’s easy for kids to sit at home and scroll on social media, but there’s something special about making music together. It’s good for your soul.”

Of course, the overwhelming success isn’t half bad either.

“We’re creating memorable shows that connect with people. It’s really fun, and I love seeing them have the opportunity to celebrate with the audience. They have incredible support and love from family and friends, and they’re constantly making changes and improving and challenging themselves, and that’s really rewarding for them and for us,” Stainbrook says.

It takes a village, according to Trigg and Stainbrook. The support from the parent booster club and school administration is unmatched.

As the program has grown and funding has increased, they’ve also been able to hire expert choreographers from West Virginia who not only create a show with Trigg and Stainbrook but routinely come to Avon to practice with the students.

“We also have a parent booster group that builds the sets and loads equipment on and off the trucks. We have some dads here every single night building things and getting stuff ready for us,” Trigg says. “Our principal, Matt Shockley, will come to the shows, even if they’re not in Avon, and he stays for both choirs, Accents and JV Team Traction. I’ve never worked in a corporation where the principal, assistant principal and others travel this far to see their school’s performances.”

The Accents perform in the annual musical and as a concert choir too. It makes them well-rounded musicians, according to Trigg.

“They know how to sight-read and other skills. We’re really trying to develop their whole musicianship, teaching them how to read music and how to sing in different styles. As soon as show choir competitions are over, we’re back to work on new music for concert choir,” Trigg says.

It works, not only because of the steadfast support and love of their community but because of the dedication and hard work of each student.

“There’s more than 60 kids with a common goal,” Stainbrook says. “They come in, form a bond, love each other and create a great product. These are amazing kids who work really hard and take so much pride in what they’re doing.”

The only thing left to do is start planning for the 2027 season and make it better than ever.

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CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE

AVON DANCE TEAM CONTINUES ITS DOMINANT RUN

Writer / Melissa Gibson

The large ensemble Avon Black and Gold Dance Team brought home its sixth state championship this spring. Not only has the large ensemble, consisting of seven dancers, won six consecutive state titles, but the entire Avon Dance Team won the state championship in 2025 — the first time in Avon history — and they continue to grow.

Victoria York is the varsity coach for Avon Dance and was on the team herself in high school. She knows all too well about the students’

challenges and what they need to do to accomplish such success.

“For me, it was an outlet. I think a lot of kids in high school are just figuring out who they are in a cutthroat world, and they’re learning they’re good in one area and not so much in another area. It’s the stress of becoming an adult,” York says. “Dance is a release, a bonding experience and, for those kids who aren’t as outgoing, they find their friends, their ‘home’ and their confidence through the dance team.”

It’s not your typical dance program, either. They’re learning jazz, lyrical and hip-hop choreography with the entire team and, for some, another set with the ensemble team, all with technical skills, lifts and advanced techniques to really shine.

Earn your way onto the large ensemble team and it becomes even more demanding, with higher-level choreography, more practice time and more skill required to compete at their level.

Slack off and a younger classmate who is putting in the work just might take your spot.

York holds her team to a high standard, both in and out of competitions, regularly reminding them that they represent their entire team and Avon.

“The varsity team is pretty tough. They have to commit to it from the beginning because it’s important to learn the techniques. They have a class period four days per week to work on the football season and game-day performances, and after fall break, we really get heavy into choreography and practice four to five days per week after school for competition,” York says.

The majority of dance team members are training at another outside

studio, and it’s not uncommon for them to spend three to five days per week there in addition to the time spent at school.

“They’re all practicing in a dance studio, they’re doing strength and conditioning training, extra tumbling classes and we talk about healthy eating too,” York says. “Overall, I’ll bet they’re spending from 3:30 to 10 p.m. doing something that leads back to dance and developing those skills every day.”

The competitive season runs from December through early March, and the team even practices every day over Christmas break.

But despite winning year after year, York says the team never knows how a performance will go. One slip can cost them the championship, so while they’re confident in their hard work and dedication, everyone is holding their breath as winners are announced.

“They get really excited for competitions. Every year, I try to instill in them that there’s always going to be someone better than you in any part of life. You have to continue to push yourself,” York says. “I think they’re hopeful but not expectant when it comes to winning.”

Under York’s direction, the dance team has increasingly become more competitive over the years. Several years ago, there were 18 to 20 dancers on the varsity team and around 18 on the JV team.

Now that number is down to 12-15 — the best of the best in competitive dance.

Avon Dance is also competing at the national level, placing in the top six year after year.

York is calling the 2026-27 season a “rebuilding year.”

“We had seven seniors graduate this year but six returning varsity members. I’m excited to see where we go this fall, and they’re already putting in the work,” York says.

That’s right, as soon as the state championship concludes, there are a few weeks off before tryouts are underway for the new season, and York is already placing new dancers on the team.

Even the middle school team is becoming more competitive as Avon youth find their passion in dance, and more and more, colleges and recruiters are seeing the value of dance teams. Scholarships are being offered, and the dancers can see a future using their skills.

However, perhaps more important than practices and trophies is the culture created by coaches and dancers alike.

“For me, the best part as a coach is seeing each person transform and grow up a little bit more,” York says. “The older students begin taking an ownership and leadership role for the team, and it’s all very inclusive. Our coaches are invested in creating this culture of ‘We Are One.’ We have to be whole to be successful.”

Tox-Away Day

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Hendricks County households are encouraged to use Tox-Away Days to recycle and dispose of chemicals, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, medicines, medical sharps, tires, electronics, and appliances. Regulations prohibit wastes from businesses or other organizations from being accepted at Tox-Away Days.

Fees are charged for the recycling of TVs ($20/$25), appliances ($5/$10), and certain tires. Cash and check only.