Columbia Dance Team Reaches Finals at Nationals, Takes 10th

Columbia Athletics

The Columbia University Dance Team finished in 10th place in Division I Dance at the 2008 NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship April 11 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Each competing team is required to perform 30 consecutive seconds of three dance styles; pom, jazz and hip-hop. Teams are scored in ten categories, including technique, routine execution, and performance impression. The teams with scores falling in the top half of each division advance to the finals.

This year, the Dance Team’s performance of a technology themed routine received a score of 8.58, high enough to earn a spot in the finals and a performance on Daytona Beach’s famous Bandshell.

Senior co-captain Alexandra Stylianos attributes the team’s success to their unity and work ethic. “Making finals this year was such a great accomplishment,” Stylianos says, “because it was the goal that we set for ourselves at our very first practice in September. Each and every one of us worked incredibly hard at every practice and we all motivated each other to perform ‘like a finals team’ at every [athletics event] in order to reach our goal.”

First-year head coach Bernadine Goldberg was pleased with the team’s performance. “We are so proud to have been able to represent Columbia University at this level,” she notes. “Nationals afforded us the opportunity to show the country that we have a world-class spirit program. We will only continue to grow from here.”

Stylianos adds, “It was such a privilege to lead this group of girls and I am so happy that we were able to perform on the finals stage in Daytona along with some of the most amazing nationally recognized dance teams.

MT Dance Team Excels In National Competition

By Sarah Lavery
Sidelines Online

In its first year under the spirit program and with a brand new coach, the MTSU Dance Team placed sixth in this year's National Cheer Association-National Dance Association Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship.

The team's new coach, Casey Reese, came into the program in February. The team had already started practicing before she arrived.

"I'm so proud of how these girls worked as a team and how they came out on top," Reese said.

During the competition, which took place April 9 through 13 in Daytona Beach, Fla., the team, at first, came just short of making the final round.

But the Dance Team procured the coveted Challenge Cup, competing against other teams that didn't pass the preliminaries for one last spot in the finals.

Before getting the Challenge Cup, the girls were ranked ninth overall in the "Open Dance Division I" category, performing a lyrical jazz routine.

In the end, though, they secured their sixth-place spot.

The team, which recently held its tryouts for the upcoming year, practices twice a week for four hours at a time. The MTSU Dance Team now has 16 new members, and Reese said she couldn't be more excited.

This year, the Dance Team-hopefuls had to master triple Pirouettes, complicated ballet-turns in second position and switch leaps, among many other advanced techniques, just to be considered for the team.

"The new team this year is of a totally higher standard," Reese said. "We're really trying to put MTSU on the map in cheer and dance. We had much higher expectations [in selecting this year's group]."

The MTSU Cheerleading Squad also took part in the competition, but did not make it to the final round. They also tried for the Challenge Cup and placed fifth, which put them at 15th overall.

"We actually had a lot of deductions in preliminaries," said Renee Hathaway, MTSU Spirit Coordinator. "Had we not had them, would have been in third."

The small, co-ed cheer squad, consisting of four males and 16 females, is also a new group. Fourteen of the team's members, in fact, are freshman and had never competed at a collegiate level.

"I'm very proud of how hard the cheerleaders worked," Hathaway said. "They worked for three months just to go down there, and for them not to do what they expected, it is disappointing."

During the upcoming year, Hathaway said she hopes the squad will have two full teams-10 couples on a co-ed squad, 20 members of an all-girl squad and six alternates, and each cheerleading hopeful will have already mastered a standing back-tuck.

"Our standards have gotten a lot higher," Hathaway said. "This year, I would like to see a lot team bonding, a lot of synchronized stunts."

Even more, Hathaway said she hopes the entire MTSU spirit program can work with each other, to create an even better atmosphere at sporting events.

"I want the whole spirit program-cheer, dance and the mascot-to be at all of the ballgames. I don't want [to separate cheer and dance anymore. We will both be on the sidelines. There won't be a basketball game that you won't see the dance team."

William Penn Spirit Squad Adds Pair for 2008-2009 Year

Statesmen Athletics

Oskaloosa--William Penn University spirit squad coach Kristin Libby has announced the signings of Kaley Gray and Emily Anderson to letter of intents to attend the University in the fall and compete for the spirit squad programs.

Kaley Gray, the daughter of Brad and Denise Gray, will graduate from Albia HS in May. Gray, who will participate on the dance team, was selected to the all-Iowa Honor Drill Team in 2008.

A two-year letterwinner in dance and once in cheerleading, Gray was the captain of the Albia Lady Dee-Lites Dance Team the past two years. She also danced at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

Emily Anderson, the daughter of Jack and Debbie Anderson, was an Ottumwa HS graduate and currently attends Indian Hills CC, where she has been cheering since 2006. She will participate on the cheer squad.

A State Cheerleader Award honoree, Anderson competed at the University of Iowa Cheer and Dance Championships and received an Excellence of Academic Achievement from the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Feature On Boston University Dance Team At Nationals

Dancing down to Florida
By Ross Lichtenberg
The Daily Free Press

Some students dream of attending the Frozen Four in their time at BU. Some hope to storm the court at an America East championship game to celebrate a basketball team's punched ticket to the Big Dance.

I also dream of watching BU athletics succeed at a national level, but while those mainstream sports struggle to rise to the occasion, my backup team enjoyed some time in the spotlight last weekend.

While the spring sports battle through the heart of the season and the playoff push, one of the forgotten teams on campus - and in many cases a team few people know exists - concluded its season with a successful campaign on the national level.

The Boston University Dance Team traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla., to compete in the National Dance Alliance National Championships, and I made the journey to enjoy all six minutes of the dance team's routine Florida.

The BUDT - also known to basketball fans around campus as "that group of girls that performs during halftime" - brings a lot more to the table than just a nice sight when fans are too afraid to glance at the scoreboard of a one-sided basketball game.

Ignoring the 1,200 miles traveled just to have this revelation, I enjoyed two days of watching intense dance competition and felt as though the fifth edition of the "Bring It On" movie series was being created before my eyes - yes, they've actually made four movies about cheerleading. Instead of a bland halftime performance, I found a team that has as much dedication as any other at BU.

After a sixth-place finish at nationals last year and boasting two All-Americans in senior captain Grace Lam and sophomore Allie Bradley, the BUDT looked to solidify itself as one of the dominant programs in the nation last weekend.

When the Class of 2008 entered BU as freshmen, the dance team struggled to receive recognition from the university and had little success at national competitions. As that class now exits BU, the dance team has enjoyed back-to-back Top 10 finishes in the nation after earning a seventh-place finish last weekend.

The BUDT has built the foundation for a highly successful program after years of being a small presence on campus. After witnessing the team's success outside of The Roof, it's even more disturbing to hear the club status of the dance team is in jeopardy for next year.

As a current club team, the BUDT is partially funded by the Athletics Department. Any possible demotion next year could lead to even fewer funds and - in the most extreme case - the inability to continue to perform at basketball games.

It's been hard to sleep at night with that thought in mind. I also heard from an unreliable source that 90 percent of the fans at basketball games really just come to see the dance team.

The dance team is already one of the few competitive squads that lacks either funding for a coaching staff or scholarships, and it's still able to enjoy a great deal of success despite many setbacks not experienced by varsity programs.

Perhaps my dream of a varsity dance team with its own on-campus facility and a season filled with dance-offs might never happen - and I'm willing to accept that. With the impractical varsity promotion likely out of the picture, the dance team's presence as a growing club sport needs to remain on campus.

It's no secret BU athletics wants to change its image in an attempt to gain student attendance and build support for athletic programs. Whether that comes in the form of marketing ploys or new facilities, I agree with the strides BU has taken to improve a game's environment.

One of the greatest reflections of what school spirit should be at a sporting event lies directly on the shoulders of the pep band and dance team. As the only stable on-court presence of school spirit, the dance team's value to BU athletics is more than just an appreciation for dance. With the cheerleaders' inconsistent attendance at basketball games this year, the future of BU spirit seems to be in peril.

Limiting our spirit programs on campus is the exact opposite of what to look for in a growing athletic program. As a representation of school spirit, the dance team's presence at sporting events provides for a positive environment.

Rutgers Cheer and Dance Teams Finish in Top Ten at Nationals

DAYTONA, Fla. - The Rutgers University Cheer and Dance Teams finished in the top ten at the 2008 NCA/NDA Cheer and Dance Collegiate Championships held in Daytona, Florida April 10-11.

The Rutgers Dance Team took 4th place in the Dance Division IA. Rutgers has consistently placed in the top five nationally, last winning the title in 1998.

The Rutgers All-Girl Cheer Team finished in 8th place in the All-Girl Division I category.

You can view performances for both the cheer and dance teams at Varsity Wired.com, and typing in Rutgers in the search section.

Tryouts for the 2008-09 Rutgers University Dance Team will be held on April 22nd and 23rd, and for the Cheer Team on April 22nd, 23rd, and 28th at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. For more information, visit Scarlett Knights.com

NC State Cheerleaders Finish 3rd, Dance Team 6th at Nationals

By Kate Shefte
The Technician Online

For the second year in a row, N.C. State's varsity cheerleading earned third place at NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Holly Humphries, a sophomore in animal science, said that although her team members were proud of their accomplishment, they were hoping for a better result.

"We were a little disappointed because we thought we would be even higher, but at the same time we were proud to be third in the nation," Humphries said.

Chris Hartshorn, a senior in sports management, said his squad hit a few bumps along the way, but he liked the way the cheerleaders handled themselves.

"Everybody was doing their best and trying really hard," Hartshorn said. "We had a couple of things not go exactly the way we wanted, but overall, we did well."

State finished behind Louisville and Oklahoma State. The top five squads will have their entire routine shown on April 26 on Fox Sports Net.

This year marked the first year that the entire varsity squad was able to make it to Nationals. The team carried far more members on its roster last season, but Hartshorn said the reduction in numbers meant that everyone was able to participate -- a detail that made Nationals a more enjoyable experience for all.

"Normally, we take just our competition team, which is about 20 of our cheerleaders plus a couple alternates," Hartshorn said. "This year, we were able to take the entire team, so the experience was a whole lot more fun and a whole lot closer."

Humphries also said having everyone was a positive for the squad.

"It was really nice to have them in the warm-up room with us and yell for us," Humphries added.

In the meantime, the cheerleading squad will still have plenty of things to keep it busy. Spring tryouts begin this Saturday, and the team will be present to support the football team during the spring game Saturday.

"It's going to be another long week," Humphries said.

The dance team also represented the school well, taking sixth place out of more than 20 teams. Holly Faranda, a freshman in psychology, said her team -- which almost didn't make it to nationals due to a plane ticket mishap with the now-defunct airline Skybus -- was happy to be there at all.

"Our coach said that getting there is half the battle," Faranda said. "The first thing we said when we got off the plane was, 'We're here. Let's do this.' It definitely got us motivated to do better."

The dance team also fell to Louisville, and other schools such as Brigham Young will have their routine shown on Fox Sports in the upcoming weeks. While the dance team just missed out on having its routine shown on national television, Faranda said the girls took a step in the right direction.

"Last year, we placed 10th. So it was a pretty big improvement, and everyone was happy with it," Faranda said. "It's what we deserved, and we're happy with what we got."

HPU National Champs Again

The Honolulu Advertiser

The Hawai'i Pacific University Cheerleaders rock again.

HPU captured their sixth consecutive national title at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) and National Dance Association (NDA) Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla., over the weekend.

The HPU Large Co-ed Cheer Team won its sixth straight national title (2003-2008).

The HPU Small Co-Ed Cheer Team (consisting of no more than four male members) won its fourth consecutive national title (2005-2008).

The HPU Dance Team won its third consecutive championship, totaling four titles overall (2004, 2006-2008).

The HPU All-Girl Stunt Group consisting of Erin Watters, Lauren Haines, Nicole Orcutt and Savanna Sibley won first place over all national divisions, while the HPU All-Girl Stunt Group consisting of Tara O'Sullivan, Lauren Loeb, Chelsey Kannan and Heather Turner placed second over all national divisions.

HPU's mascot "Sharky the Sea Warrior" placed second among all national divisions.

The Cheer and Dance Collegiate Championship is the world's largest event with teams from Mexico, Japan and Canada and across the United States.