Summer heatwave doesn’t slow down the Hawkettes

With the possible exceptions of Arizona and Southern California, cheerleading squads and dance teams who perform outdoors rarely have to put up with extreme heat, let alone anything topping 100 degrees. The recent mid-Atlantic heatwave caused temperatures to soar into the triple digits along with stifling humidity. The temperature at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium reached a reported 106 degrees at game time and the heat and humidity combined to produce a brutal 119 degree heat index.

In addition to the heat, the field is made of a synthetic turf laid over a bed of mixed sand and rubber pellets. While soft, the field radiates an amazing amount of heat back to anyone standing on it.

The average person would probably never set foot in such an environment if they could help it. For the Chesapeake Hawkettes, missing the game was not an option.

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