The South Dakota State cheer and dance squads competed at the United Dance Association and the United Cheer Association National competition on Jan. 16-18 in Orlando, Fla.
Competing for the third year in a row at UDA, the SDSU dance team has placed in the top 10 across the board. For the first time in program history, SDSU advanced to the finals for the first time ever this past weekend, finishing seventh in their D1 Jazz routine. They also placed fifth in D1 Dance-Gameday, and sixth in D1 Pom.
“It was such a surreal and proud moment to hear that we made finals in the D1 Jazz category,” said junior dance team member Ellie Nothdurft. “In the semifinals, we left everything on the floor, and finding out we didn’t just make finals but were sitting in eighth place out of 33 incredible teams was unreal. Moving up to seventh in finals made it even more special.”
Dance was one of two teams that went to nationals; the Jackrabbit cheer team also competed at UCA. Returning to UCA, the SDSU cheer team placed eighth in the All-Girl D1 Game Day.
Senior cheer team member Allie Lombardi said she’ll “never forget” the feeling of hearing SDSU’s name called to advance to the final round.
“Getting to experience that level of excitement with my team is so bittersweet. I was very proud of my teammates and what they were able to accomplish on that mat,” Lombardi said. “There are lots of hours spent in the gym perfecting these routines, so being able to execute when the time came was extremely rewarding.”
Competing at the national level is an honor for some dancers, but placing in the top 10 can be a dream come true for small universities at the UCA and UDA.
“Making a top 10 appearance at a national level is far from easy. This truly shows the grit and determination of these athletes,” senior dance team member Avery Webb said. “Preparing for UDA/UCA nationals is exhausting physically and mentally, but we choose time and time again to push through to put our best foot forward for ourselves and for our university.”
“We want to show everyone what we dancers and cheerleaders here at SDSU can do,” Webb added. “It feels amazing to show the nation that a smaller town college in South Dakota can compete at the national level with bigger names.”
Both teams’ success derives from hours of practice over several months. For dance, they start four months after competing at the previous year’s nationals.
“Our preparation begins at the beginning of the season, which is in May, following our mid-April tryouts,” dance head coach Christie Pekoske said. “Then the team practices all summer in preparation for UDA camp, which takes place in August. We learn our Nationals choreography in September and October, and this is where we really start to dig in.
Winter break practices are intense, Pekoske said, being just a few weeks away from nationals.
The dance team wasn’t the only squad to see months of hard work pay off on the national stage. The SDSU cheer team also had success in Orlando. Returning to UCA, the squad staged a return to secure eighth place in the All-Girl D1 Game Day category.
“I was excited we made it to finals for Game Day and grateful for the recognition of our hard work. Placing 8th place out of 31 great teams is a feat in itself,” senior cheer team member Tia Tycz said.
Cheer and Dance represent the spirit program of SDSU, but they are not the same. Cheer has different regimens and other appearances they must keep up while also prepping for nationals.
Sophomore cheer team member Lauren Keller said that preparing for nationals is a long process. They learned the choreography in early October, with extra practices in the following months. “
“These were often two-a-day practices or five plus hour days focusing on cleaning the routines,” Keller said.
Along with practices, the cheer team also made appearances at SDSU events (basketball games), performing at halftimes and a showcase, and lifting twice a week and running two miles weekly.
Webb said the dance team learns their routines in the fall and spends the rest of the semester perfecting them and fitting them for the team.
“During Christmas break we spend our days practicing with our team [for] up to ten hours a day together,” Webb said. “We have a few days to go home over Christmas, and then we return and kick it into gear for UDA.”
With the competitive season coming to an end, both squads now return to the sidelines to lead the crowd and support Jackrabbit basketball for the remainder of the academic year.
“We will take a short one-week break from practices, but continue to support our Jackrabbit athletics at the basketball games,” Pekoske said. “Our goals continue to remain the same – build our technique and skills, grow our program, level up our performance and placings at UDA 2027, and always continue to support Jackrabbit Nation.”
