SEWARD, Neb. – While hosting the third annual Concordia Cheer & Dance Invitational, the Concordia University Cheer team continued its upward trajectory. The Bulldogs posted a score of 66.18 while taking second place out of a field of six teams that gathered inside Friedrich Arena on a snowy Saturday (Feb. 6) morning. The competition featured five GPAC squads and Peru State College.
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squads are making waves while displaying major improvement as compared to the past several seasons.
“Concordia Cheer and Dance did a great job today,” Maser said. “Both teams really pushed themselves to perform with more consistency and precision today. We increased some difficulty for both teams and they stepped up to the challenge. We are really proud of how well this event went on our campus and how well both teams did.”
Only conference rival Midland outperformed Concordia, which had placed fourth out of six teams at its own invite one year ago. The scores turned in by the Bulldogs are representative of a team and a program on the rise. They collected particularly high marks in their pyramids, basket tosses, standing tumbling and jumps.
The competition team for the Bulldogs on Saturday included:
· Kaci Hohenthaner (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
· Brenden Ingram (Kearney, Neb.)
· Danielle Larsen (Omaha, Neb.)
· Kenna Millhouse (Twin Bridges, Mont.)
· Josie O’Laughlin (Winona, Minn.)
· Sabrina Reed (Crete, Neb.)
· Cora Rhode (Fort Morgan, Colo.)
· Isabel Sermeno (Seward, Neb.)
· Kathryn Taylor (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
· Shelby Timmerman (Clatonia, Neb.)
Following the competition, the program honored three seniors: Kaci Hohenthaner, Lanessa Kerner and Cora Rohde.
In previous competitions this season, the Concordia Cheer team has won duals over Mount Marty and Morningside and placed third at the Friends University Day of Duals.
The Bulldogs will make their second-to-last home competition appearance on Wednesday when they host Hastings and Peru State as part of a triangular that will take place inside the PE Center Gym. The action is slated to get started at approximately 7:30 p.m. CT (after that night’s women’s basketball game ends).
Concordia Cheer & Dance Results
DANCE
1. Midland – 86.36
2. Concordia – 71.26
3. Hastings – 67.86
4. College of Saint Mary – 65.86
5. Doane – 63.7
6. Dordt – 62.93
7. Northwestern – 57.7
8. Peru State – 51.7
CHEER
1. Midland – 69.53
2. Concordia – 66.18
3. Hastings – 65.12
4. Doane – 59.56
5. Northwestern – 56.7
6. Peru State – 45.15