On Sunday, Feb. 15, the Wartburg College Cheer and Dance teams competed in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) cheer and dance championship at Central College in Pella, Iowa.
This championship hosted all A-R-C schools over the course of the day. At the end of the competition, the Wartburg Cheer team placed first in the game day category, and the dance team earned a second-place finish in both hip-hop and pom, and third place in jazz. The dance team also had several All-Conference honorees, including third year Lexi Erickson being named to the First Team All-Conference, as well as second year Maegan Schoppe and fourth year Maura Rauch receiving honorable mentions.
Second-year cheerleader Ava Soll mentions how after hearing they won, the team felt excited to be able to bounce back after falling short of their goal last year.
“Excitement was a big one, because we had a winning streak, and then last year we didn’t win,” Soll says. “So, to win again this year was like, not only were we doing it for ourselves, but we were doing it for everyone else.”
Soll also mentions how when it comes to learning the techniques of cheer, it’s more complicated than what meets the eye, and takes dedication and time.
“It’s like a piece-by-piece process. You’re not going to just learn the full thing in one day,” Soll explains.
Going into this competition, Soll also mentions the team’s positive energy, and how working together as a team can pay off in competition.
“The atmosphere is so healthy and strong. People get along, people work together really well,” Soll says.
Third year Lexi Erickson, who earned the First Team All-Conference honor, mentioned how they were ready to come into this competition and perform well.
“We were excited for it, we put in so many practices, and it felt really good,” Erickson says.
When Erickson found out she had earned the First Team All-Conference honor, she was relieved that all of her hard work throughout her seasons at Wartburg had finally paid off.
“It just shows all the hard work I did to get there. I practice outside of practice, so it just showed all the effort I put in,” Erickson noted.
Despite competing to win all of these top-three finishes and team awards, Erickson mentions how when it comes to both the cheer and dance team, their main goal is building relationships and enjoying their experience on the team.
“We didn’t really take practices super seriously, we were just there to have fun,” Erickson says. “And with that in mind, we want to do good but also were a team and here to be each other’s friends, so having fun is the main thing.”
With both teams earning top-three finishes in their categories, as well as individual awards, the A-R-C cheer and dance competition marks the end of a successful season for both the Wartburg Cheer team and the Wartburg Dance team.
To support both these teams in their upcoming seasons in the fall, visit the Wartburg Cheer team website and the Wartburg Dance team website.
