Concordia topped by Morningside in home opener

By Jacob Knabel on Jan. 16, 2021 in Dance

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.