Scotts Valley’s Santa Cruz Derby Groms female division team, the Gromshells, claimed their second consecutive Junior Roller Derby Association (JRDA) National Championship on July 13-14 in Palatine, Ill.
This victory marks their third overall title with previous wins in 2018, 2023 and 2024.
Head Coach Chris Kerr (aka Coach Neo) raved about his talented players and the sheer effort and focus it took for them to take the championship again.
“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 six appearances in the final game,” Kerr said. “With the addition of this year’s gold medal, they have now earned six medals, including three gold and three silver.”
The Gromshells ended the season with an impressive 18-1 record, and Kerr is one proud coach.
“They defeated 13 different teams from nine states across the nation and fell only to the reigning open/co-ed division champions, Philly Junior Roller Derby, while competing in seven tournaments,” Kerr said. “They outperformed opponents by a ratio of 6:1, having scored a total of 5,058 points while holding opponents to a total of 844 points, outscoring them by 4,214.”
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.
Like with any successful team, leadership is key, and the Gromshells have that in spades; not only among the head coaches, but also with players who are mentoring the next generation of derby athletes.
Coach Neo and his wife, Coach Ima, have been leading the team since 2016; Miel Ruckman is a jammer who’s been derbying since 2019; Shelby McConner (derby name “Curl Crusher”) is a blocker who’s also a 2019 addition; Kylee Onken-Merrell (derby name “Krom Bomb”) is currently playing multiple roles: jammer, blocker and pivot; and 2022 saw the addition of blocker Presley Jimenez, who at the age of 15 is one of the returning players for the 2025 team.
In derby lingo, each game is broken down into two 30-minute “jams.” Each jam lasts two minutes with a 30-second break between jams. Prior to the jam, blockers and pivots line up in front of the jammer line with jammers starting behind the line.
Jammers are the players who score the points, while blockers are responsible for offensive and defensive plays. On the first pass, jammers try to get through the pack first to become the “lead jammer.” No points are scored on the initial pass, but jammers begin scoring points during subsequent passes.
A blocker helps the jammer progress through the pack by blocking defensively; the pivot acts as the leader of the pack, establishing strategy and game play, while the jammer scores points by lapping opposing team members.
While stamina and endurance are a large part of the games, strong communication and a good sense of potential moves keeps the Gromshells in winning form. The Scotts Valley-based team went head-to-head with the Rose City Rosebuds from Portland, Ore., for the second year in a row.
“Same game, same match-up, same outcome,” Kerr said. “Last year we beat them by 21 points in the final; this year, we took them by 59 points. Both teams are epic, both offensively and defensively, so we can never get comfortable playing them.”
The players around the table nodded in agreement.
“We’ve gotten so much closer over the last two years,” said Ruckman, whose derby name is “Alice in Thunderland.”
McConner believes the secret to the team’s success is to not let off the gas.
“We’ve had seasons before where we’ve gotten comfortable and seen losses as a result. Our coaches are really good about keeping us driven and helping us set other goals besides just winning, so we’re always working towards something more,” McConner said.
Onken-Merrell said the drive they give to each other, along with the positivity, is an element of their success.
“We try to stay as close as possible through open communication and encouraging each other to do our best. It’s a great place to be yourself,” she said.
Jimenez’ derby name of “Skull Crusher” speaks to her sheer determination on the track.
“Going out of our way to find more competition and harder teams to play helps us find our flaws. If we can improve upon those, we can perform better in future games,” Jimenez said.
Several of the departing players will be returning to the Scotts Valley rink for two reasons: first, to join the Legacy Team for derby players who have aged out; second, to coach and mentor younger players who are moving up in the league.
For now, the team is looking forward to recruiting some fresh new faces for their 2025 season.
“If you’ve ever wondered if roller derby is right for you, we welcome interested skaters to come check out some of our practice sessions,” Kerr said.
Next year is right around the corner, and the Gromshells want to add some talent to their ranks. For more information, to watch the Gromshells’ championship match online or to learn about joining the team, visit santacruzderbygroms.com/national-champions.html.
