Competition Info: 2022 GPAC Dance Championship/NAIA Northwest Qualifier

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 22, 2022 in Dance

SEWARD, Neb. – It’s championship week for the Concordia University Competitive Cheer and Dance teams. The 2022 GPAC Championship competition (also a group qualifier for dance) will unfold on Friday for dance and on Saturday for cheer. Doane will serve as the host once again with action taking place inside the Haddix Center. Additional details can be found below.

2022 GPAC Dance Championship/NAIA Northwest Qualifier
Friday, Feb. 25 | 3 p.m. | Haddix Center (Doane campus)
Live Stream: https://www.youtube.com/user/doaneathletics/live2

Event Schedule
-Performance times:
3:00 p.m. – Northwestern
3:11 p.m. – Concordia
3:22 p.m. – College of Saint Mary
3:33 p.m. – Mount Marty
3:44 p.m. – Viterbo
3:55 p.m. – Morningside
4:06 p.m. – Doane
4:17 p.m. – Hastings
4:28 p.m. – Dordt
4:39 p.m. – Midland

5:54 p.m. – finals begin (order based on preliminary scores)
7:45 p.m. – NAIA All-American auditions
8:30 p.m. – Awards Ceremony

Leading up to the championship competition, Head Coach Mandi Maser’s dance squad has competed in seven separate events (10 total performances). Led by the likes of Katie Anderson and Haleigh Fitzsimmons, the Bulldogs posted a season high score of 72.90 in the most recent performance, which occurred at the Concordia Cheer & Dance Duals on Feb. 19. According to the NAIA’s official scoring database, Concordia currently ranks 30th nationally with an average score of 65.82. Among GPAC teams, the Bulldogs rank sixth behind Morningside (82.12), Midland (81.32), Doane (78.54), Hastings (75.52) and Dordt (71.10). The 10 total performances by Concordia are the most of any dance team in the nation.

Competition scores in 2022
Jan. 19 – 63.85
Jan. 26 – 63.55
Jan. 27 – 69.9
Jan. 28 – 69.73
Feb. 4-5 – 55.9 | 61.72 | 61.38
Feb. 11 – 70.47
Feb. 19 – 68.25 | 72.90

At the 2021 GPAC Championship/NAIA Northwest Qualifier, the Bulldogs placed fifth with an average score of 74.76, putting them behind Morningside (90.92), Midland (89.38), Viterbo (76.45) and Doane (74.88).

For those who qualify, the 2022 season will continue at the sixth annual Competitive Cheer and Dance National Championship, scheduled for March 11-12 in Ypsilanti, Mich.