2020-21 Dance Schedule/Results
| Date | Event/Opponent | Location | Result |
| Jan. 13 | Mount Marty University (Dual) | Yankton, S.D. | W, 61.3 - 52.1 |
| Jan. 16 | Morningside College (Dual) | Walz Arena | Seward | L, 68.15 - 71 |
| Jan. 23 | Friends University Day of Duals | Wichita, Kan. | 2 of 7 |
| Jan. 28 | College of Saint Mary (Dual) | Walz Arena | Seward | W, 68.35 - 56.6 |
| Jan. 30 | **CIT CANCELED** | Walz Arena | Seward | 9 a.m. |
| Feb. 6 | Concordia Cheer & Dance Invitational | Walz Arena | Seward | 2 of 8 |
| Feb. 10 | Hastings College (Dual) | Walz Arena | Seward | W, 72.35 - 68.70 |
| Feb. 20 | Doane University (Dual) | Walz Arena | Seward | W, 73 - 65.1 |
| Feb. 26 | GPAC Championships / NAIA Northwest Qualifier | Crete, Neb. | 5 of 10 (74.76) |
| 4th in GPAC |
2020-21 Roster
| Name | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Katherine Anderson | So. | Columbus, Neb. | Columbus HS |
| Brooke Ann Duerr | Jr. | Warren, Mich. | Lutheran HS Northwest |
| Haleigh Fitzsimmons | Jr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran HS |
| Emma Gaffney | Jr. | Essex, Iowa | Shenandoah HS |
| Kenna Holtzen | Fr. | Stromsburg, Neb. | Cross County HS |
| Ella Kissinger | Fr. | Doniphan, Neb. | Doniphan-Trumbull HS |
| Madison Koch | So. | Doniphan, Neb. | Doniphan-Trumbull HS |
| Avery Lewis | Fr. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| Stephanie Mashuga | Fr. | Gibbon, Minn. | Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop HS |
| Michelle Porath | Sr. | Lexington, Neb. | Homeschooled |
| Hannah Schmidt | So. | Gretna, Neb. | Gretna HS |
| Lizbeth Vargas-Tap | So. | Omaha, Neb. | Omaha South HS |
| Maddie Wittstruck | Fr. | Milford, Neb. | Milford HS |
STAFF
Mandi Maser, Head Coach (5th Year)
Emilie Aschenbach, Graduate Assistant Coach
Season Preview: 2021 Concordia Dance
January 12, 2021
Head Coach: Mandi Maser (5th year); 2020 GPAC Cheer Coach of the Year
2020 GPAC Finish: 6th/11
2020 NAIA Northwest Finish: 4th/10
2021 Captains: Haleigh Fitzsimmons (Jr.); Michelle Porath (Sr./Student Coach)
2020 All-GPAC: Katie Anderson (Honorable Mention)
Outlook
On the eve of competition season, the Concordia University Dance team carries a new level of confidence thanks to the way it finished up 2020. Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squad experienced a breakthrough in placing fourth at the 2020 NAIA Northwest Regional Qualifier. The improvement shown late last season is something the Bulldogs could build upon as they returned to practice after New Year’s.
Team captains Haleigh Fitzsimmons (Lincoln, Neb.) and Michelle Porath (Lexington, Neb.) will be leaders for a squad on the rise. There are hopes of placing in the top two of the GPAC this winter.
“The returners and our new freshmen built on that momentum from regionals,” Maser said. “After the preliminaries we were sitting sixth and then bumped up to fourth and really improved score-wise. They showed the competitive edge they are capable of performing with. This year we started with that edge and are starting at an already high level.”
The closing stretch of last season also included a dual victory over Hastings and a sixth-place finish at the GPAC Championships. A Lincoln Lutheran High School alum, Fitzsimmons has seen the growth of the program first hand. She and Porath will be tasked by Maser with helping to bring along the younger athletes on the roster. Porath is serving as a student coach, but she can also jump into competition as needed.
The Bulldogs also welcome back sophomore Katie Anderson, an honorable mention All-GPAC performer last season. In addition, there are plenty of new faces for a team with six freshmen, five of whom are from the state of Nebraska. They have entered a program with steadily rising expectations.
“We want to be in a better position at the start of the season than we were last season,” Fitzsimmons said. “We’ve been working really hard last semester and in the offseason. I think that momentum from last year has helped us to be 10 times more prepared at this point than we have been in years past, and it’s very evident from performances in practice. We’re in a really good position.”
Maser calls Porath a “strong, talented dancer” and someone with a “voice for teaching.” Meanwhile, Fitzsimmons took it upon herself to get to know the new team members while serving as a welcoming presence. Says Maser, “She’s really come into her own and found her voice as a leader.”
Some member of the community may already know something about freshman Avery Lewis, a Seward High School graduate. Maser is excited about the potential of Lewis, who figures to make an immediate impact on competition days.
For a sports program still fairly young on the competitive side of things, Concordia seems to beginning to turn a corner. In order to maximize the results in competition, the Bulldogs will have to leverage both their talent and chemistry.
Says Fitzsimmons, “I think Coach has really recruited some amazing dancers – not only amazing dancers, but amazing teammates to come together. The community that we’ve built is full of hard work and dedication. A lot of it is what we do outside of the gym and outside of performance. It takes a lot of personal weight lifting, training and doing stuff on your own for the better of the team. Just looking at our endurance levels, our passion for what we’re headed towards and our positive attitudes, it’s very different, especially from my freshman year. It’s cool to see that every dancer who is competing is doing it because they want to.”
More and more young athletes seem to be interested in competing in cheer and dance at the collegiate level. The official NAIA Cheer and Dance National Championship is now in its fifth year. Unfortunately, the 2020 event was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The popularity of cheer and dance is increasing all the time,” Maser said. “More people are paying attention to it with the NAIA recognizing it as a full sport. Athletes are looking at it as an opportunity to compete and get scholarships to do it. Having trainers, strength and conditioning and all of that dedicated to our sport helps validate it and increases our competitive edge. Our level of talent has improved a lot and we enjoy having the chance to travel and compete against other teams outside the GPAC.”
Concordia will go head-to-head with Mount Marty in a dual on Wednesday (Jan. 13) to open up the season. The Bulldogs will also host Morningside on Saturday with the dance competition taking place inside Friedrich Arena (halftime of the women’s basketball game). The Concordia Invitational Tournament has been canceled for 2021, but the program is looking forward to a unique opportunity to compete at the Friends University Day of Duals on Jan. 23. Other notable events include the Concordia Cheer & Dance Invitational on Feb. 6 and the GPAC Cheer & Dance Championships (hosted by Doane) on Feb. 26-27.
Bulldogs begin 2021 competition season with win at Mount Marty
January 14, 2021
YANKTON, S.D. – The 2021 competition season is underway for the Concordia University Dance program. In conjunction with basketball games that took place at Mount Marty on Wednesday (Jan. 13), the Bulldogs defeated the Lancers, 61.3 to 52.1. The dance competition took place inside Cimpl Arena on the Mount Marty campus in Yankton, S.D. It marked the first time that Mount Marty had ever hosted cheer and dance events.
Head Coach Mandi Maser is in her fifth season leading the Concordia Cheer and Dance programs. She was named the 2020 GPAC Cheer Coach of the Year. Last season, the Bulldogs turned in GPAC place finishes of sixth in both cheer and dance.
“The team was ready to go and prepared,” Maser said. “We had some very productive practices leading up to it. The overall routine was good, but we have room to grow with a lot of formation stuff and the specific scored elements. We need to make sure those elements are exact and precise. We got scored a little tight with it being the first competition. There’s definitely opportunity for us to increase our score. I was proud of how they represented Concordia.”
Maser’s teams are captained by junior Josie O’Laughlin and senior Cora Rhode in cheer and by junior Haleigh Fitzsimmons and senior Michelle Porath in dance.
The dance squad will host a competition for the first time in 2021 when it welcomes Morningside to Seward on Saturday. The two sides will go head-to-head inside Friedrich Arena at halftime of the women’s basketball game. The start time will be at approximately 2:30 p.m. CT.
Concordia topped by Morningside in home opener
January 16, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – While hosting for the first time in 2021, the Concordia University Dance team fell short of victory on Saturday (Jan. 16) afternoon. The Bulldogs were topped by visiting Morningside, 71 to 68.15, in action staged inside Friedrich Arena in Seward. Concordia did its best work in the category of hip hop.
While the result was a defeat, the Bulldogs improved upon the score they posted in Wednesday’s win at Mount Marty. Head Coach Mandi Maser has been pleased with the team’s progress.
“Today was a great day for us,” Maser said. “Dance increased their scores compared to Wednesday night’s competition by a substantial amount. They had a solid performance and we are increasing that competitive edge we all want to see every time they dance.”
As a comparison, Concordia turned in a score of 61.3 on Wednesday. It had to ramp things up in order to compete with the Mustangs, who won the GPAC dance championship last season. The Bulldogs earned praise for their large number of formations and ability to transition between them.
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.
Dawgs earn runner up trophy at Friends Invite
January 23, 2021
WICHITA, Kan. – In a unique cheer and dance event hosted by Friends University, the Concordia University Dance team competed as one of seven squads present in Wichita, Kan., on Saturday (Jan. 23). In combining scores from their two performances, the Bulldogs posted a total of 153.34 and took home the runner-up trophy. This marked the third outing of the season for Concordia, which last competed on Jan. 16 when it hosted a home dual.
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s dance squad continues to improve its scores each time out. The Bulldogs also boast a dual win over Mount Marty. Said Maser, "We increased our difficulty this week in practice and the team performed really well. Our scores reflected their hard work."
Concordia and GPAC rival Hastings joined a field made up mostly of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents on Saturday. As part of the competition, Concordia placed second in a triangular before winning a dual over Bethany College (Kan.). However, the place finishes (see bottom) were awarded based on the total scores put forth by the judges.
The Bulldog Dance competition roster included the following seven on-the-floor athletes:
· Sophomore Katherine Anderson (Columbus, Neb.)
· Junior Haleigh Fitzsimmons (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Freshman Kenna Holtzen (Stromsburg, Neb.)
· Freshman Avery Lewis (Seward, Neb.)
· Sophomore Hannah Schmidt (Gretna, Neb.)
· Sophomore Lizbeth Vargas-Tapia (Omaha, Neb.)
· Freshman Maddie Wittstruck (Milford, Neb.)
The Bulldog Dance team will be back at home on Thursday (Jan. 28) for a dual against College of Saint Mary. The competition will take place at halftime of that night’s women’s basketball game (tipoff at 7 p.m. CT). Also on the horizon is the Concordia Cheer & Dance Invitational slated for Saturday, Feb. 6.
Dance place finishes (based on two scores added together)
1. Baker – 166.58
2. Concordia – 153.34
3. Bethel – 137.42
4. Hastings – 135.75
5. York – 132.53
6. Kansas Wesleyan – 119.92
7. Bethany – 84.2
Bulldogs defeat Flames in conference dual
January 28, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – In its first outing since claiming the runner up trophy at the Friends University Day of Duals last weekend, the Concordia University Dance team hosted College of Saint Mary and emerged victorious. The Bulldogs defeated the Flames, 68.35 to 56.6, on Thursday (Jan. 28) night. Concordia also owns a conference win over Mount Marty.
Head Coach Mandi Maser believes her squad can be better next time out on the floor. Said Maser, “Tonight the dance team performed well – not their best – but they did a good job. We need to be more consistent and improve each competition, no steps backwards. We are looking forward to our Invite on Feb. 6.”
The Bulldogs managed to earn a convincing win while making a late adjustment to its competition roster. While Concordia turned in mostly solid scores across the board, it will try to tighten up the timing of its turns moving forward. The captains of the team are junior Haleigh Fitzsimmons and senior Michelle Porath.
Without a Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT) this year, the Concordia Cheer & Dance Invitational is up next on the schedule. The dance portion of the event is slated to get underway from Friedrich Arena at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 6.
Bulldogs place as runner up at own invite
February 6, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – While hosting the third annual Concordia Cheer & Dance Invitational, the Concordia University Dance team put together another strong showing. The Bulldogs posted a score of 71.26 while taking second place out of a field of eight teams that descended upon Friedrich Arena on a snowy Saturday (Feb. 6) morning. The competition featured seven 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 sixth out of 10 teams at its own invite one year ago. The judges’ scores reflect a team that is executing its routines at a higher degree of difficulty compared to last season. The Bulldogs were graded consistently high in their “team turns” and “team leaps.”
The competition team for the Bulldogs on Saturday included:
· Katherine Anderson (Columbus, Neb.)
· Haleigh Fitzsimmons (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Kenna Holtzen (Stromsburg, Neb.)
· Avery Lewis (Seward, Neb.)
· Hannah Schmidt (Gretna, Neb.)
· Lizbeth Vargas-Tapia (Omaha, Neb.)
· Madeline Wittstruck (Milford, Neb.)
In previous competitions this season, the Concordia Dance team has won duals over Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary, lost to Morningside and earned second place at the Friends University Day of Duals.
The Bulldogs will make their second-to-last home competition appearance on Wednesday when they host Hastings for a dual that will take place inside Friedrich Arena. The action is scheduled to start at approximately 6:30 p.m. CT (halftime of the women’s basketball game).
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
Concordia defeats Hastings for third GPAC dual win
February 10 , 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off a runner-up claim at its own Concordia Cheer & Dance Invite, the Concordia University Dance team returned to action on Wednesday (Feb. 20) and defeated visiting Hastings, 72.35 to 68.70. It marked the third GPAC dual win of the season for the improving Bulldogs.
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squad has now competed in five separate events since the season began on Jan. 13. Concordia’s score on Wednesday came in above (72.35 to 71.26) what it turned in last week.
“Bulldog Dance continues to increase difficulty and improve their scores,” Maser said. “We have some great momentum going into our last regular-season competition on Feb. 20. This is a special group of ladies that love to dance and their competitive spirit keeps growing every competition.”
Concordia had only minor deductions while again executing its routine at a high level. The Bulldogs earned high marks in the categories of team turn and team leap while posting solid scores across the board.
The competition team for the Bulldogs on Wednesday included:
· Katherine Anderson (Columbus, Neb.)
· Haleigh Fitzsimmons (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Kenna Holtzen (Stromsburg, Neb.)
· Avery Lewis (Seward, Neb.)
· Hannah Schmidt (Gretna, Neb.)
· Lizbeth Vargas-Tapia (Omaha, Neb.)
· Madeline Wittstruck (Milford, Neb.)
In previous competitions this season, the Concordia Dance team has won duals over Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary, lost to Morningside and earned second place at the Friends University Day of Duals.
The Bulldogs will be at home again on Saturday, Feb. 20 to host Doane. The competition will be staged inside Friedrich Arena. The approximate start time will be 2:30 p.m. CT (halftime of the women’s basketball game).
Dance notches win over Doane, finishes home schedule
February 21, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – In one last outing before the GPAC Championships, the Concordia University Dance team entertained the home crowd inside Friedrich Arena on Saturday (Feb. 20) by earning another victory. The Bulldogs earned a score of 73 compared to 65.10 by visiting Doane. It marked the fourth home competition of the season.
That score was slightly better than the one Concordia recorded 10 days earlier in a win over Hastings. Maser likes the direction her team is headed.
“Concordia Dance and Cheer had a good day today,” Maser said. “We came out on top and we have some great momentum going into next week’s prep for the GPAC Championships/Regional Qualifier. Dance did a sharp, clean routine and really performed well. We will increase some difficulty for next week and leave it all out there on the competition floor. This team has grown so much and continues to push themselves every competition.”
The competition team for the Bulldogs on Saturday included:
· Katherine Anderson (Columbus, Neb.)
· Haleigh Fitzsimmons (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Kenna Holtzen (Stromsburg, Neb.)
· Avery Lewis (Seward, Neb.)
· Hannah Schmidt (Gretna, Neb.)
· Lizbeth Vargas-Tapia (Omaha, Neb.)
· Madeline Wittstruck (Milford, Neb.)
In previous competitions this season, the Concordia Dance team has won duals over Mount Marty, College of Saint Mary and Hastings, lost to Morningside and earned second place at the Friends University Day of Duals.
The GPAC Cheer & Dance Championships are up next. The dance portion of the event will be held Friday, Feb. 26 at Doane.
Information for 2021 GPAC Dance Championship
February 25, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The fifth annual GPAC Cheer and Dance Championships are set to unfold Friday and Saturday (Feb. 26-27) on the Doane campus in Crete, Neb. The Haddix Center will serve as the venue for the event, which will not be open to fans (due to COVID-19 restrictions). The GPAC Dance Championship also serves as the NAIA Northwest Group Qualifier and will include Viterbo University (Wis.) among the GPAC competitors.
The 2021 GPAC Cheer and Dance Championships will be streamed live at: https://www.youtube.com/user/doaneathletics/live2.
Both cheer and dance will feature a preliminary and final rounds in addition to NAIA All-American tryouts. The dance competition is set to get started at 3 p.m. CT on Friday while cheer will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The full schedule of events can be viewed via the GPAC website: http://www.gpacsports.com/article/4807.php#.YDfUm2hKiM8. The schedule lists preliminary performance times of 4:06 p.m. on Friday for Concordia Dance and 11:06 a.m. on Saturday for Bulldog Cheer.
At the 2020 GPAC Championships, the Bulldogs placed sixth out of 10 teams in dance and sixth out of seven teams in cheer.
The fifth annual Cheer and Dance National Championship is slated to take place March 12-13 at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
2021 Concordia Cheer/Dance Results
CHEER
1/13 at Mount Marty – W, 59.2 to 52.5
1/16 vs. Morningside – W, 67.75 to 67.25
1/23 at Friends Day of Duals – 3 of 7 (153.20 combined score in two performances)
2/6 Concordia Invite – 2 of 6 (66.18)
2/10 Triangular vs. Hastings/Peru State – 2 of 3 (66.5)
2/20 vs. Doane – W, 69.60 to 66.30
DANCE
1/13 at Mount Marty – W, 61.3 to 52.1
1/16 vs. Morningside – L, 71 to 68.15
1/23 at Friends Day of Duals – 2 of 7 (153.34 combined score in two performances)
1/28 vs. College of Saint Mary – W, 68.35 to 56.6
2/6 Concordia Invite – 2 of 8 (71.26)
2/10 vs. Hastings – W, 72.35 to 68.70
Bulldogs place fourth in GPAC, fifth in regional dance championship
February 26, 2021
GPAC/Regional Qualifier Results
CRETE, Neb. – In the most significant competition of the 2021 season, the Concordia University Dance team produced two of its highest scores all season. As a result, the Bulldogs placed fourth in the GPAC and fifth in the region at the GPAC Dance Championships/NAIA Northwest Group Qualifier. Nine GPAC dance squads were joined by Viterbo University (Wis.) at the event hosted in Crete, Neb., by Doane on Friday (Feb. 26).
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s Bulldogs posted scores of 73.13 in the preliminary round and 75.30 in the second and final round of the competition. With an aggregate score of 74.76 (75 percent finals/25 percent prelims), Concordia finished comfortably in front of sixth-place Dordt (69.30).
“We are proud of how this team competed today,” Maser said. “Every week they improved, pushed themselves to be better technical dancers and came together to form unbreakable bonds. This is an amazing group of student-athletes.”
The Bulldogs were credited with similar scores across the categories of jazz technique, pom technique and hip hop technique. Concordia also scored high in its musicality, choreography and team turns/leaps.
The GPAC competition team for the Bulldogs included:
· Katherine Anderson (Columbus, Neb.)
· Haleigh Fitzsimmons (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Kenna Holtzen (Stromsburg, Neb.)
· Avery Lewis (Seward, Neb.)
· Hannah Schmidt (Gretna, Neb.)
· Lizbeth Vargas-Tapia (Omaha, Neb.)
· Madeline Wittstruck (Milford, Neb.)
The 2020 GPAC Championships and regional qualifiers were separated on different dates. Concordia turned in a dance score of 61.00 at the 2020 conference championships while placing sixth out of 10 GPAC teams.
The cheer portion of the GPAC Championships will fire up at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday. The Haddix Center in Crete will also host the cheer competition. The fifth annual Cheer and Dance National Championship is slated to take place March 12-13 at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
Concordia Dance 2021 Results
1/13 at Mount Marty – W, 61.3 to 52.1
1/16 vs. Morningside – L, 71 to 68.15
1/23 at Friends Day of Duals – 2 of 7 (153.34 combined score in two performances)
1/28 vs. College of Saint Mary – W, 68.35 to 56.6
2/6 Concordia Invite – 2 of 8 (71.26)
2/10 vs. Hastings – W, 72.35 to 68.70
2/20 vs. Doane – W, 73 to 65.10
2/26 GPAC Championships/NAIA Northwest Qualifier – 4th (GPAC) / 5th (region)
Schedule Release: 2022 Concordia Dance
June 29, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Cheer & Dance programs have announced their competition schedules for the 2022 season (as released on June 29). Both Bulldog squads will open their new campaigns by hosting Morningside for a dual on Jan. 19, 2022. The slate features six regular season events for both cheer and dance.
Head Coach Mandi Maser will enter her sixth season leading both programs. Concordia made significant strides last season while improving their scores across the board. The Bulldogs placed fourth in the GPAC in both cheer and dance. One of the highlights of the 2021 season came at the Concordia Cheer & Dance Invitational when both teams turned in second place finishes.
After a year hiatus, the Concordia Invitational Tournament returns this winter. The event will be staged in Seward. The cheer & dance portion of CIT will get underway at 9 a.m. CT from Friedrich Arena on Jan. 29. The schedule includes four home dates. The format for Concordia’s annual invite has been changed to a dual setup and will be held Feb. 19. As for championship events, Doane will host the GPAC Championship/Regional Dance Qualifier Feb. 25-26. National qualifying teams will head to Concordia University, Ann Arbor for the national championship on March 11-12.
The Bulldog Cheer & Dance teams can also be seen performing regularly at other sporting events such as basketball, football, volleyball and wrestling contests. The first home football game of the fall is set for Sept. 11.