April 21, 2011
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — This past winter, Iowa dance team members stepped out of Hawkeye football season and onto what seemed like a movie set.
“The atmosphere [at the 2011 UDA College National Dance Team Championship] was identical to [the cheerleading movie] Bring It On,” says freshman Madeline Gage, “Except that everyone was supportive of everyone else.”
Also picture-perfect was the dance team’s finish at the competition–the highest in program history. Performing to classic songs from AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Journey, the dancers brought the energy of a Hawkeye football game to the crowd. In their first finals since 2007, the Hawkeyes placed seventh out of 10 pom teams and ninth out of 28 teams in jazz.
After returning from the Orlando competition, the team performed for a home crowd and received its trophy during halftime of a Hawkeye women’s basketball game. Second-year Iowa dance team coach Jenny Eustice says, “People watching the competition were blown away by the strength and height of our jumps. They’ve told me how much our team has improved–and how we’re making a name for ourselves.”
To see videos of the team’s show-stopping performances, visit www.youtube.com/user/ uiowaadmissions and click on the playlist “Cheering for the Hawkeyes.”
This article originally appeared in Iowa Alumni Magazine, which is published by the University of Iowa Alumni Association (www.iowaalum.com).