Zach Glover and Haley Ponce
After Zach Glover graduated from Lake Highlands High School in May of 2023, he headed off to Oklahoma State University to study nutrition science. Before long, though, he felt something was missing. The former Wildcat Wrangler missed boot-scootin’ with his team at LHHS, so he tried to assemble a similar western swing group at OSU. No dice. Finally, he transferred to Texas A&M University, with plans to audition for a spot on the “High Flyin’, Death Defyin, Fightin’ Texas Aggie Wranglers.”
Glover’s first call was to Haley Ponce, who danced with him as a Wildcat Wrangler. They hadn’t been steady dance partners, but they were friends, and she was a freshman in Aggieland. Her older brother, Dixon, was president of the Aggie Wranglers, and the two began strategizing to earn coveted spots on the team.
The Aggie Wranglers were founded in 1984 with students who responded to an ad in the school newspaper seeking dancers for a gig at the 1984 Calvert County Fair. Twenty people showed up, and seven couples were chosen.
The Wildcat Wranglers were formed later when Katha Black, former director of the Highlandettes, developed the school’s country-western dance team in 1992. The group began dancing at the State Fair of Texas, Dallas Cowboys games and presidential inaugurations, among other opportunities. The team now boasts 46 members.
Ponce and Glover knew they faced an uphill battle. Only about 11 couples traditionally make the student-run Aggie team, including some returning dancers. Only a few spots were available for the taking.
You’d think Lake Highlands alums would have a big advantage, since we’re one of the few schools in Texas with a Wrangler team. Glover says he’s not so sure.
“The Aggie and Wildcat styles are so different, (student judges) would kind of critique us for dancing wrong. The Aggie way is a lot sharper and more technically sound. We already had the LH way set in our brains, so we had to shake that and adapt to the new style.”
The couple sought guidance from Dixon, who had three words of advice: practice, practice, practice.
“He was very encouraging, and he helped us a lot with our routines,” says Ponce. “He gave us suggestions to improve our choreography for tryouts.”
Auditions involve multiple rounds, where hopefuls showcase their dance ability, teachability and performance skills. In the first round, they are given a song and must choreograph a routine on the fly. In the second round, they learn a new dance and must perform it after just ten minutes of practice.
“You’re going to struggle learning a routine that fast,” says Glover, “but the big thing is just proving you can work together and not get mad at each other.”
After the first rounds of cuts, remaining candidates move to the Memorial Student Center, where they are interviewed by current team members. Dixon’s advice came in handy there, too.
“He said ‘just be yourself and get to know the team. Those are the people you’ll be dancing with,’” recalls Glover. The pair spent weeks getting acquainted with returning members and becoming familiar with team culture.
“The team deliberates to decide if you would be a good fit,” says Ponce. “Will you cause drama on the team? Will you be dedicated to the cause? Are you a person of character? That’s why it’s so important to get to know team members before you try out. If they don’t know you, nobody’s going to vouch for you.”
Now that auditions are over and they’ve officially made the squad, Ponce and Glover have been rehearsing together several days each week. She’s in Dallas for the summer and he’s in College Station, so they’ve been racking up the miles traveling back and forth. They want to be ready for the team’s inaugural performance at the Aggie Club Crawl on August 31.
“Freshmen will come in to see booths with all the organizations and Greek life and student housing,” says Glover. “We get to perform in the flag room, with people all around us. I’m super excited. When I lift Haley up and I see people’s jaw drop — it’s awesome. I love it.”
Before that, they’ll appear at Fish Camp, Texas A&M’s orientation program for new students. They won’t perform dance routines, but they’ll show off their “jit lines,” tossing girls around in jitterbug style.
“Our jit is cool, but the older Wranglers who have been on the team for a while have stunts that are even crazier,” says Glover. “Sometimes people have to actually look away because they are scared. That’s why they call us ‘high flyin’, death defyin’, internationally famous Aggie Wranglers.’”
Ponce and Glover have participated in some pretty impressive performances, including the Wildcat Wranglers’ trip to London for the New Year’s Day Parade in 2023. The Aggie Wranglers have danced all over Texas, across America, in Japan and Mexico, and they recently performed in Germany when six Aggie scholars participated in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings there. They’ve boot-scooted at presidential inaugural balls, Caribbean cruises and professional sporting events. Ponce and Glover can’t wait to see how their year unfolds.
“Really, I can’t even put it into words,” says Ponce. “I’m excited, but I’m definitely nervous. I’m hoping we can be ready in time and fully prepared. I’m excited to invite all my friends to come watch.”
“I’m looking forward to the Elephant Walk, which is where all the seniors walk the campus and reminisce,” says Glover. “They commemorate their time here, and we perform for them and their families. Everyone says it’s super special.”
Ponce gets a little teary-eyed thinking about the ceremony. Dixon is no longer a Wrangler, but he’ll be a graduating senior participating in Elephant Walk with their parents.
“Aggie Wranglers is such a great community of people, and I’m excited to have the privilege of being a part of it,” she says. “Everybody is so genuine and encouraging of one another. You can tell that they really care about the team, and they really care about the people they’re surrounded by. Even the alumni have great relationships — it’s a close-knit community.”
Ponce and Glover can’t wait for their first gig in Aggieland. Gig ’em.
