Head Coach: Mandi Maser (7th year); 2020 GPAC Cheer Coach of the Year 2022 GPAC Finishes: Cheer 4th/8 | Dance 6th/9 2022 NAIA Northwest Finishes: Cheer 4th/8 | Dance 7th/10
Outlook There were some ups and downs experienced in 2022 for Concordia University Competitive Dance, which produced scores that ranged from 55.9 to a season best of 72.90. The Bulldogs wound up placing seventh at the GPAC Championships/NAIA Qualifier. That placement fell below the program’s expectations, but that disappointment hasn’t deterred excitement for the 2023 season. There’s a belief that if things fall into place, Concordia could contend for a spot at the NAIA National Championships.
This will be year seven for Mandi Maser as head coach of the program. Maser oversaw the program’s transition into status as an official varsity sport and has brought about a rise in talent year after year.
“They are building themselves up to be a really solid technical team,” Maser said. “They’re a great sisterhood of individuals that really support each other on and off the dance floor. They have grown together quite a bit and have made us proud to have this program. They conduct themselves in a wonderful way all the time. They do a great job academically, spiritually and competitively. They have really improved a lot. A lot of people have taken notice of how clean and professional they all look.”
Maser’s 2023 roster includes six athletes (out of eight) who competed at last year's conference/regional championship event. Foremost among those returnees is senior Katie (Anderson) Birtell, who has been a constant in the lineup over the previous three years. She’ll be joined on the floor by the likes of Aubrey Baumann, Kenna Holtzen, Avery Lewis, Lizbeth Vargas-Tapia and Maddie Wittstruck.
Maser discussed the leadership Birtell will provide once again. In addition, Madison Koch has been influential as a student coach. Madison shares some of the coaching skills of her brother Grady, who works on Concordia’s football staff.
“Katie has done a great job and has always been technically sound,” Maser said. “She’s always been a very steady, level-headed leader since being a freshman. She does things by action, working hard and doing things the way it needs to be done. Madi Koch is another one. She’s a student-coach and has worked to be a really valuable assistant coach. She’s done an amazing job and will make an amazing coach someday wherever she goes as a teacher.”
The veterans on the team have welcomed in talented freshmen like Ryleigh Flesner, Taylor Larsen and Elise O’Neill. Each of them figure to be regulars on the competition floor this winter. Whether a multi-year veteran or a rookie, all Bulldogs are working on mastering a new routine.
Said Birtell, “This year we have a different choreographer. She brought a little bit different style to the table and I think it fits our team super well. This routine is a lot more high-energy than last year and I think we have the potential to do better with it. It’s a matter of conditioning and getting our technique correct. I think we have a lot potential for this season.”
At last season's conference championship/qualifier, three schools posted scores in the 80s. Concordia understands it must raise its level to push those elite squads in the Midwest. As Maser said of the conference, “It’s quite dominant. Especially on the dance side, the GPAC is very tough. Every competition is tough when you’re always going up against GPAC teams. We’re blessed to have that because it pushes you to get better and better.”
The good news is that the Bulldogs still have some time before having to put things all together. The top four teams at last year’s GPAC/NAIA Qualifier were Morningside, Viterbo and Midland. The Mustangs went on to capture the national championship. That’s the type of competition Concordia is up against. Birtell and company are ready to put themselves to the test.
“I think this team has the highest potential I’ve seen from the past four years,” Birtell said. “We have three good freshmen on our competition team, and they get along with us very well. It’s a very good team dynamic. We come to practice ready to work, and we’re very encouraging of each other. This season, we can definitely score the highest we ever have. I have high expectations.”
Said Maser, “(Coach) Emilie (Ashenbach) and I have really devoted ourselves to building Concordia up to be national contenders for both cheer and dance. We continue to work hard for that every single practice. We are really hoping to get there, and these kids deserve to have that experience. I want them to be able to say they were the first teams to be able to do that for competitive cheer and dance at Concordia.”
The competition season will get started on Jan. 11 when the Bulldogs will host College of Saint Mary in conjunction with basketball that evening. The program is looking forward to CIT coming up on Jan. 28 and is excited to host the Concordia Duals (featuring 14 total institutions) on Feb. 11. The complete schedule can be found HERE.
School record broken as Bulldogs open competition with dual win
Jan. 11, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – A new competition season is off and running in style for the Concordia University Competitive Dance program. The Bulldogs hosted College of Saint Mary for a dual on Wednesday (Jan. 11) and came away with a new school record score of 80.55. Meanwhile, the Flames earned a score of 48, resulting in a win for Concordia. The competition took place at halftime of the women’s basketball game inside Friedrich Arena.
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squad gave legitimacy to the hopes it has of climbing up the ladder from its seventh-place finish at the 2022 GPAC Dance Championships/NAIA Regional Dance Qualifier. Maser has begun her seventh season leading the Bulldogs.
Said Maser, “I thought the dancers did a great job their first competition. They have been working hard to increase their technical skills and overall difficulty levels, and they have set a great starting point for what we hope is an awesome season. This is a special group of athletes and we are looking forward to the next competition.”
Seven Bulldogs took to the floor on Wednesday in the kickoff to the season. The group featured fourth-year veteran Katie Birtell (honorable mention all-conference in 2022) out of Columbus, Neb., as well as returners in Aubrey Baumann, Avery Lewis and Maddie Wittstruck. Concordia also incorporated three talented freshmen into its routine: Ryleigh Flesner, Taylor Larsen and Elise O’Neill. Meanwhile, CSM competed four athletes in the dual.
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.)
The 80.55 turned in by Concordia in the dual was a major improvement from the program’s 2021-22 season scoring average of 66.05. The highest single competition score last season by the Bulldogs was a 72.90 in a home dual.
Concordia Dance will return to action next Wednesday (Jan. 18) in conjunction with basketball that evening inside Friedrich Arena. Both the Bulldog dance and cheer teams will go up against Morningside in a dual. The dance competition will again take place at halftime of the women’s basketball game.
Bulldogs topple reigning NAIA national champs, reset program standard
Jan. 19, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The result from Thursday (Jan. 19) will send ripples through the world of NAIA competitive dance. In its second outing of the season, Concordia University Competitive Dance reset the program record for a single competition score while defeating reigning NAIA national champion Morningside in a dual held inside Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs earned a score of 85.9 while the Mustangs were credited with a score of 75.25.
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squad had scored an 80.55 a week earlier in the dual win over College of Saint Mary. Concordia has blown the roof off preseason expectations. It was ranked fifth in the GPAC coaches’ poll unveiled on Wednesday.
Said Maser, “I thought we did great job and improved from last week. We worked in practice on our uniformity. They increased their performance quality in terms of crowd entertainment and energy. We were really impressed with that as coaches. We showed we weren’t intimidated by the reigning national champions. They went in and competed at a high level.”
The same seven Bulldogs who competed last week took the floor again on Thursday. The group again featured fourth-year veteran Katie Birtell (honorable mention all-conference in 2022) out of Columbus, Neb., as well as returners in Aubrey Baumann, Avery Lewis and Maddie Wittstruck. Concordia also incorporated three talented freshmen into its routine: Ryleigh Flesner, Taylor Larsen and Elise O’Neill.
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.)
The Bulldogs managed to defeat a Morningside squad that won both GPAC and NAIA national titles in 2022. This was the season’s first competition for the Mustangs.
Next on the docket will be a triangular with Hastings and Mount Marty on Jan. 25. The dance competition is slated to get underway at roughly 6:30 p.m. CT (halftime of the women’s basketball game) from Friedrich Arena. The cheer competition will follow at the conclusion of women’s basketball and take place inside the PE Center Gym.
2023 CIT Week Preview: Competitive Dance
Jan. 23, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The week of the Concordia Invitational Tournament will be chalk-full of competition for the Concordia University Nebraska Cheer & Dance teams. Prior to the big event, the Bulldogs will welcome Hastings and Mount Marty to Seward for a triangular in conjunction with basketball on Wednesday evening. The CIT cheer and dance competitions will then be held on Saturday morning. Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squads have begun the 2023 season with school record scores.
This Week
Wednesday, Jan. 25 (Dance) vs. Hastings/Mount Marty, 6:30 p.m. (halftime of WBB) --Live Stream (part of WBB broadcast) | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Wednesday, Jan. 25 (Cheer) vs. Hastings/Mount Marty, 7:30 p.m. (after WBB) --Live Stream (Facebook Live) | Location: PE Center Gym (Seward, Neb.)
Competing Concordias Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA) Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Concordia University Nebraska (CUNE) Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW)
Overview
It’s been a particularly impressive start to the season for Concordia Dance. The Bulldogs have already won two dual meets versus GPAC opponents while posting respective scores of 80.55 and 85.9, totals that both reset the program standard for a single competition. In the early going of 2023, Concordia ranks as the No. 4 team in the NAIA competitive dance in terms of highest scoring average. A team led by senior Katie Birtell even outperformed defending NAIA national champion Morningside in last week’s dual inside Friedrich Arena. The competition roster has included Birtell and returners Aubrey Baumann, Avery Lewis and Maddie Wittstruck – as well as freshmen Ryleigh Flesner, Taylor Larsen and Elise O’Neill.
Paced by returning all-conference honoree Shelby Timmerman, Concordia Cheer earned a score of 77.2 while opening up the competition season versus Morningside on Jan. 19. The Bulldogs were picked second in the GPAC coaches’ preseason poll and have high expectations following a 2022 season that saw them place fourth in the conference. Other returners who were part of last week’s competition were Lexi Mack, Victoria Perry, Sabrina Reed, Bre Romero and Elizabeth Schultz.
The CUNE cheer and dance squads are still looking to take home a CIT trophy for the first time. CIT added cheer and dance competitions beginning in 2018. Concordia University Ann Arbor has won each of the first three CIT cheer competitions (and the 2019 dance competition) while Concordia University Wisconsin has taken the dance championships in 2018 and 2020. This will mark the first time CUNE has ever hosted the CIT cheer and dance competitions. The event was put on hold in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19.
It should be noted that the CIT competitions are not governed by NAIA rules. The scoring system for CIT was devised by coaches of the Concordias to accommodate both NAIA and NCAA schools that participate.