ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Hoping to recapture the CIT championship trophy, the Concordia University, Nebraska Competitive Dance team wound up settling for third place at the 2025 Concordia Invitational Tournament. At the latest CIT hosted by Concordia University Ann Arbor on Saturday (Jan. 25), the Bulldogs earned a score of 55.27 (out of 70), placing behind Concordia Chicago (57.70) and Concordia Wisconsin (55.37).
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s program has placed third at CIT in back-to-back years after winning the 2023 competition in Seward.
“We had a great time competing at CIT – it’s always a great environment,” Maser said. “It’s difficult to measure four dance teams against each other that do completely different techniques for their routines. The numbers fall where they do. The most important thing to focus on was that our NAIA routine was incredibly strong, and we had a chance to get better with this routine to build on in our competitive season. The whole team did great. Taylor Larsen was a standout today, performing extremely well.”
CIT 2025 Dance Scores (max score of 70)
1. CUC – 57.70
2. CUW – 55.37
3. CUNE – 55.27
4. CUAA – 54.63
The scoring system used at CIT was amended to accommodate the NAIA and NCAA Division III squads that compete. The event marked the second outing this season for the Bulldogs, who came away with a score of 80.9 while dualing College of Saint Mary a week earlier. Eight athletes represented CUNE at Cardinal Fieldhouse on Saturday morning. CUNE narrowly missed out on second place (0.1 behind CUW).
CIT Competition Roster
· Hanna Bitner (Valentine, Neb.)
· Alexis Carlen (Staunton, Ill.)
· Brynley Cooper (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Taylor Larsen (Ravenna, Neb.)
· Elise O’Neill (North Platte, Neb.)
· Kaylee Powell (Central City, Neb.)
· Bianca Romshek (Bellwood, Neb.)
· Jozlin Schmidt (Bentonville, Ark.)
The CUNE cheer and dance squads now look ahead to the weekend of Feb. 7-8 when the York University Invitational (Feb. 7) and the Concordia Day of Duals (Feb. 8) will take place. Both events will feature some of the top competition from around the NAIA.