Gromshells Win Back to Back Junior Roller Derby National Championships
The Santa Cruz Derby Groms female division charter team, the Gromshells, successfully defended their Nation Champion title by winning the Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) National Championships hosted in Palatine, Illinois on July 13~14, 2024. This is their second consecutive national championship win and third total with title wins in 2018, 2023, and 2024.
This year's tournament featured the top four teams coming out of the JRDA playoffs tournaments hosted in June. Santa Cruz was the top seed based on their performance at playoffs and results throughout the season. On the first day of the tournament, the Groms beat the fourth seed Nashville Junior Roller Derby 353-7 in the semi-final enabling them to advance to the championship game against the second seed Rose City Rosebuds from Portland, Oregon. The Gromshells went on to defeat the Rosebuds, 158-99 in an epic re-match of the last two season's championship games.
The Gromshells have qualified for JRDA National Championships every season since 2015 and have made it to the championship game every competitive season since 2017, for a JRDA record of 6 appearances in the final game. With the addition of this year’s gold medal, they have now earned 6 medals including 3 gold and 3 silver.
This season the Gromshells played a team record 19 games between February and July, finishing the season with an 18-1 record. They defeated thirteen different teams from 9 states across the nation and fell only to the reigning open/co-ed division champions Philly Junior Roller Derby while competing in 7 tournaments hosted across 5 cities in California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington. They outperformed opponents by a ratio of 6:1, having scored a total of 5058 points while holding opponents to a total of 844 points, outscoring them by 4214.
With the conclusion of the 2024 competitive season, the Gromshells will be working hard at refining their game, bringing up new talent, and looking forward to continuing the pursuit of World Gromination during the upcoming 2025 season.
This year's tournament featured the top four teams coming out of the JRDA playoffs tournaments hosted in June. Santa Cruz was the top seed based on their performance at playoffs and results throughout the season. On the first day of the tournament, the Groms beat the fourth seed Nashville Junior Roller Derby 353-7 in the semi-final enabling them to advance to the championship game against the second seed Rose City Rosebuds from Portland, Oregon. The Gromshells went on to defeat the Rosebuds, 158-99 in an epic re-match of the last two season's championship games.
The Gromshells have qualified for JRDA National Championships every season since 2015 and have made it to the championship game every competitive season since 2017, for a JRDA record of 6 appearances in the final game. With the addition of this year’s gold medal, they have now earned 6 medals including 3 gold and 3 silver.
This season the Gromshells played a team record 19 games between February and July, finishing the season with an 18-1 record. They defeated thirteen different teams from 9 states across the nation and fell only to the reigning open/co-ed division champions Philly Junior Roller Derby while competing in 7 tournaments hosted across 5 cities in California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington. They outperformed opponents by a ratio of 6:1, having scored a total of 5058 points while holding opponents to a total of 844 points, outscoring them by 4214.
With the conclusion of the 2024 competitive season, the Gromshells will be working hard at refining their game, bringing up new talent, and looking forward to continuing the pursuit of World Gromination during the upcoming 2025 season.
2024 Season Results
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Watch the Championship Game
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