SEWARD, Neb. – The most significant action of the 2026 season is yet to come for Concordia University, Nebraska Cheer and Dance. All league teams are bracing themselves for the 2026 GPAC Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday (March 6-7) at Northwestern. The championship event moves to Orange City, Iowa, after the Bulldogs hosted the GPAC meet in 2025. Head Coach Emilie Ashenbach’s squad is slated to lead off the 2026 GPAC Championships at 3 p.m. CT on Friday.
2026 GPAC Cheer Championships
Friday, March 6 | 3 p.m. | Bultman Center (Orange City, Iowa)
Live Stream: https://www.gpacnetwork.com/
Event Schedule – Cheer
-Prelims performance times:
3:00 p.m. – Concordia
3:10 p.m. – Doane
3:20 p.m. – Northwestern
3:30 p.m. – Hastings
3:40 p.m. – Midland
3:50 p.m. – Mount Marty
4:00 p.m. – Waldorf
4:10 p.m. – Dordt
-Finals performance times (based on prelims scores):
5:20 p.m. – eighth place
5:30 p.m. – seventh place
5:40 p.m. – sixth place
5:50 p.m. – fifth place
6:00 p.m. – fourth place
6:10 p.m. – third place
6:20 p.m. – second place
6:30 p.m. – first place
7:20 p.m. – GPAC All-Conference recognition
7:30 p.m. – Awards ceremony/score announcements
Leading up to the championship competition, Head Coach Emilie Ashenbach’s cheer squad has competed in seven events. The Bulldogs have progressed considerably throughout the campaign while earning third-place finishes at the Concordia Invite and Midland Invite. In the latest outing (Midland Invite), the Bulldogs achieved a season best score of 77.28. The season scoring average stands at 65.60 (54th in the NAIA) on the strength of three routines judged at 70 or higher. The competition roster has been decidedly youthful with five freshmen regularly taking the mat.
2026 Competitions
Jan. 24 – Placed 8th/8 (51.8) at Dordt Invite
Jan. 30 – Placed 7th/7 (60.16) at KWU Classic
Feb. 6 – Placed 8th/12 (67.85) at York Crown Classic
Feb. 7 – Placed 3rd/8 (77.00) at Concordia Invite
Feb. 13 – Placed 9th/10 (66.00) at Northwestern Invite (Day 1)
Feb. 14 – Placed 6th/9 (70.80) at Northwestern Invite (Day 2)
Feb. 21 – Placed 3rd/5 (77.28) at Midland Invite
At the 2025 GPAC Championship, the Bulldogs placed fourth while hosting the competition inside Friedrich Arena. Concordia posted scores of 79.83 in the prelims and 80.83 in the finals for a total score of 80.59. The top three place finishers were Northwestern, Midland and Morningside. The Bulldogs wound up with two GPAC All-Conference individuals. All-conference honors are awarded based on individual performances pre-recorded on video that are then viewed by the GPAC Championship judges. Since the GPAC began hosting a conference championship/qualifier in 2017, Concordia’s highest place finish was third in 2023.
The hopeful final destination on the 2026 journey for all NAIA cheer and dance teams is Topeka, Kan., site of the 2026 NAIA Competitive Cheer & Dance National Championship. Official national qualifiers are scheduled to be announced at 6:30 p.m. CT on March 16. The national championship will then take place March 27-28. For additional information on the national event, check out the NAIA sport home pages: Cheer | Dance.