SEWARD, Neb. – While hosting for the first time in 2021, the Concordia University Cheer team seized the moment on Saturday (Jan. 16) afternoon. The Bulldogs outscored visiting Morningside, 67.75 to 67.25, in a close competition held inside the PE Center Gym in Seward. Concordia excelled most notably in the category of showmanship and general impression.
Fifth-year Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squad also earned a win in its season opener at Mount Marty on Wednesday.
“Our cheer team fought today to get the win,” Maser said. “They had the drive and energy to compete that we talk about in every practice. Continuing to increase the difficulty level in some of the stunt sequences is our next step and we have some great momentum to get us there.”
The victory over an opponent that placed higher at the 2020 GPAC Championships is another sign of the progress made by the Bulldogs, who were credited with solid scores in the tumbling and jumping disciplines. The judges also made note of the team’s high energy.
Junior Josie O’Laughlin and senior Cora Rhode serve as the captains of the cheer team while junior Haleigh Fitzsimmons and senior Michelle Porath lead the dance squad.
The cheer and dance squads will both return to action next Saturday with a road trip to Wichita, Kan., where they will take part in the Friends University Day of Duals. The event will feature a unique bracket style format. In past seasons, the Bulldogs have typically gone up against solely GPAC teams in duals.