Dance

Hometown: Big Springs, Neb.
Alma Mater: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Miranda "Mandi" Maser was officially introduced as Head Competitive Dance and Cheer Coach in July 2016. In January of 2024, Maser took on the title of Competitive Spirit Coordinator as Emilie Ashenbach was named Head Competitive Cheer Coach. Maser continues to oversee both programs and also works as Concordia's Athletic Business Coordinator. Maser was honored as the 2026 NAIA National Coach of the Year for competitive dance.

The National Coach of the Year award followed a historic 2026 season for Bulldog Dance, which qualified for the national championships for the first time in program history. At the 2026 NAIA National Championships in Topeka, Kan., Concordia placed eighth in the nation. The '26 team also set a new program standard with five All-America award winners: Lana Tillman (first team), Bianca Romshek (second team), Addison Sample (second team), Hanna Bitner (third team) and Taylor Larsen (third team). Larsen became a three-time All-American. In other major highlights, the Bulldogs won championships at the York Crown Classic and Concordia Invite. The team's score of 93.33 at the Concordia Invite broke a program record.

Named the 2020 GPAC Cheer Coach of the Year, Maser's teams have showned consistent improvement from year to year. Highlights from the 2023 campaign included a CIT championship for the dance program and natinonal rankings (in terms of average competition score) of 13th in dance (81.47) and 26th in cheer (77.80). As part of the season, both squads broke school records for competition scores at a single event and dance came up just short of qualifying for the national championships. Dance also ranked in the top 10 nationally for scoring average in 2025 and just missed out on national qualification prior to the breakthrough in 2026.

In 2021, the cheer and dance teams improved their average scoring significantly while turning place finishes of fourth in the GPAC for both (fifth in the region for dance). In 2022, the cheer program set a then school standard for highest score in a performance while Shelby Timmerman became the first All-GPAC award winner in Concordia Cheer history. The 2023 teams wound up with five total All-GPAC honorees, including Ryleigh Flesner, an NAIA Second Team All-American. Flesner repeated as an All-American in 2024 while being joined with such accolades by teammates Hanna Bitner and Taylor Larsen. The '24 dance team ranked 10th nationally for scoring average.

Maser, who owns United States All-Star Federation (USASF) credentialing for levels one through five tumbling and stunting as well as membership in the Federation, has held several roles related to dance and cheer instruction. She is certified by The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA).

As artistic director at Pure Movement Dance Institute in Lincoln, Maser helped grow participation from 50 students to approximately 400. While continuing to teach in the studio, she independently contracted additional choreography opportunities in the Lincoln Public Schools system, the Lincoln Community Playhouse, the TADA Theatre as well as additional high schools in central Nebraska. She has choreographed approximately 44 sold out musicals, many of which were regional premieres.

In addition, Maser served as adjunct professor for a fellow GPAC school for four years, instructing dance, specifically, jazz, modern, improvisation, creative movement and tap through the athletic program. She has also choreographed competition routines for local, state and national competitions for teams at Lincoln Public Schools, Crete High School and for high schools in Colorado and Iowa. From November 2014 through July 2016, Maser also worked as office services manager for the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources.

Maser holds a bachelor of fine arts in Dance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Mandi has a son Sam.