On Aug. 26 at the Kansas City Chiefs preseason football game against the Cleveland Browns, Gracie Snethen, 17, Griffin Snethen, 15, and Klaira Hayes, 15, all performed in the half-time show with the Chiefs cheerleaders at Arrowhead Stadium as members of the Studio KC Chiefs cheerleaders squad.
They were selected as studio dancers with Spotlight Dance Academy in Ottawa and attended practices for the half-time show throughout the summer. As members of the squad, the girls received official Chiefs cheerleader uniforms and poms. Griffin received an official Chiefs yell leader jersey. They all also received Chiefs backpacks and practice clothes and had photos taken at the stadium by the organization.
Mallory Melvin Watkins is the Spotlight Dance Academy owner and head teacher. Darian Bruch is on staff at Spotlight and is also a KC Chiefs cheerleader and was one of their instructors.
All three performers are students at Ottawa High School and have been members of the OHS Cyclones Spirit Squad and Dance Team. They are all the great-grandchildren of Jeanne Masterson Percy and late coach Glenn Percy. (Coach Percy was a friend of the KC Chiefs Coach Hank Stram and coached Hank’s son, Stu Stram, at Shawnee Mission East, so they all enjoyed seeing his displays at the stadium.)
Gracie and Griffin are the children of Scott and Beth Snethen and are the grandchildren of Chuck and Michelle Percy Johnson and Ron and Carolyn Snethen. Klaira is the daughter of Jared and Mallory Melvin Watkins and she has two brothers, River, 7, and Lennox, 5. Klaira is the granddaughter of Mick and Mona Percy Melvin. The extended family attended the Chiefs game.
