Hanover Central High School

Story by Rhyanna Morgan Abby Simental has attended Hanover Central High School for three years and has recently started her senior season on the PomCats. Abby began dancing when she was younger but hated it at first. She decided to give it a second chance in sixth grade and hasn’t looked back. When away from the competition floor, Abby enjoys hanging out with her family and chilling in bed. Her favorite dance style is hip-hop or jazz, and her favorite tricks are turns. Abby moved to Hanover Central at the beginning of her sophomore year. She decided to join the dance team because she’d always liked to dance. Abby was going to join the soccer team, but when she learned that Hanover Central had a dance team, she knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Dance has taught Abby many life lessons she will take with her as she navigates through adulthood. When asked how dance has shaped her into who she is today, Abby answered, “It’s given me a lot of great moments, many laughs, and many great memories. It’s taught me discipline, hard work, and how to work as a team, not just an individual.” Before Abby’s last season comes to an end, the biggest goal that she has for herself is to get the tricks down that she’s learned to be more clean. Also, before she says goodbye to her team one last time, her biggest goal for the team is to win state. Abby is trying to soak up her favorite moments of the season, which are football season and competition season. Abby enjoys competing even though it’s nerve-wracking sometimes. However, she enjoys knowing she did her best and the team did all they could. Winning state runner-up in single A hip-hop played a huge role in that. In a short amount of time, it will be time for Abby to hit her last-ending pose with the Hanover Central PomCats, leaving it all out on the State floor. After high school, Abby plans on attending the University of Illinois Chicago to major in Interior Design and minor in either criminal justice or psychology. She doesn’t plan on ending her competitive dance career with the PomCats. Abby tells us she plans to try out for the University of Illinois Chicago competitive dance team. To future dancers, Abby tells you, “Make sure you put in your best because if you don’t, then that’s going to affect the rest of the team. It’s going to cause problems for everyone.” Abby will miss the moments the team had together. She knows it will be sad to move on, but Abby holds on to hope that she will make the same bonds at UIC that she made with the PomCats. Photo Credit Nancy Novitski His Heart Photography