The Bison Belles took their skills and a little Christmas spirit to the parade in College Station this year. The parade, having been around for 89 years, drew in a large crowd. Locals could come watch the festivities in person or, because the parade was televised, tune into one of the local news channels from their own homes.

“It was a crazy experience,” captain Kaci Allen said. “It was so much bigger than anything we had ever done before, and it felt pretty awesome being able to have that opportunity.”

Winning was not the ultimate goal for the Belles. Their main goal was to enjoy themselves. However, they also placed first in the school category.

“Winning was just a bonus,” Allen said. “It felt great winning when it wasn’t even something we had thought about.”

When the girls found out that they had gotten first place, the emotions the felt were mixed.

“We were surprised because we beat the actual school from College Station, but I was not surprised because we were one of the only teams who really got into the spirit of things by dressing up and doing a simple routine,” lieutenant Jaylee Hullum said. “I am so very proud of my team.”

Overall, the response was the same: the Belles were just happy to be included and loved the opportunity to showcase their talent.

“It felt good to be a part of a parade that’s been around as long as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” lieutenant Brooke Barron said. “It was tiring, but it all of our hard work paid off in the end.”