SEWARD, Neb. – Sixty total performances took place inside Friedrich Arena on Saturday (Feb. 11) as Concordia University hosted the Concordia Cheer & Dance Day of Duals. The event featured squads from 18 different NAIA institutions. In head-to-head competitions, the Bulldogs defeated both Northwestern and William Penn University (Iowa) while posting respective scores of 79 and 82.95. There were 14 separate dance duals/triangulars that unfolded throughout the day.
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squad also competed on Friday at the York University Crown Classic. For the weekend, the Bulldogs were judged on three performances with scores ranging from 79 to 82.95.
“It was a very competitive field with tough competition,” Maser said. “Our teams did a great job representing our university really well. We continue to plug away and work hard. We have some things to change up on the dance side of things to make sure we continue to challenge our kids and strive for higher scores. They’re very talented, so it’s my responsibility to continue to increase their skills. We’ll be back in on Monday to work on it.”
Concordia has yet to drop a competition when it comes to strictly duals. The Bulldogs have also beaten College of Saint Mary and Morningside during a season that has seen them hover near the top 10 nationally in scoring average. The Bulldogs far exceeded Northwestern (79 to 63.1) on Saturday before squeaking past William Penn (82.95 to 82.65). The score against William Penn represented Concordia’s third best this season out of seven performances. The competition roster for Saturday is listed below.
Concordia competition roster
· Aubrey Baumann (Chester, S.D.)
· Katie Birtell (Columbus, Neb.)
· Ryleigh Flesner (Greeley, Colo.)
· Taylor Larsen (Ravenna, Neb.)
· Avery Lewis (Seward, Neb.)
· Elise O’Neill (North Platte, Neb.)
· Maddie Wittstruck (Milford, Neb.)
Just before score announcements were made at the Concordia Day of Duals. The Bulldogs recognized a senior class that includes Katie Birtell, Madi Koch and Lizbeth Vargas-Tapia for dance and Brenden Ingram, Sabrina Reed and Kathryn Taylor for cheer.
2023 Competition Scores/Results
1/11 – 80.55 (dual vs. College of Saint Mary)
1/19 – 85.9 (dual vs. Morningside)
1/25 – 83.1 (triangular vs. Hastings/Mount Marty)
1/28 – 1st place (CIT)
2/3 – 78.97 (3rd place at Doane Invite)
2/10 – 80.33 (T-4th place at York Crown Classic)
2/11 – 79 / 82.95 (duals vs. Northwestern/William Penn)
Up next will on the schedule is next Saturday (Feb. 18)’s Dordt Cheer and Dance Invite to be held in Sioux Center, Iowa. That competition will be the final outing for the Bulldogs prior to the GPAC Cheer & Dance Championships/NAIA Regional Qualifier hosted by Doane on Feb. 24-25.