The University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point is fortunate enough to have an athletic program that annually competes at a high level across the board. From volleyball to basketball, baseball to track, each team continually builds upon the tradition of excellence that began decades ago.

The dance team is no different. Each year you see the girls showcase their routine during halftime of Pointer football and basketball games. That’s just the tune up.

Besides performing in front of the home crowd, the UWSP Dance team has competed twice this season; at the Universal Dance Association competition in Milwaukee and at the Ashwaubenon Invite, taking first place in both.

“All of the competitions were wonderful experiences and have really helped us grow as a team,” said third year dancer Molly Farley.

Building a relationship as a team was a high priority coming into the season.

“This year could have been seen as a building year, since we took on 8 new members with only 7 returning members. Most years, the team only takes about 4 new girls and usually has about 10 or 12 returning girls, so it’s easy to see that our ratio was a bit skewed,” said Farley. 

With over half of the team comprised of first year dancers, growing pains are almost a certainty. But this team has been able to come together and perform at the level UWSP is accustomed to.

“It’s amazing to see the progress everyone is going through throughout the year, and we are only pushing ourselves to improve upon what we are now,” said third year dancer and team captain, Tianna Hamland.

Last Saturday, the girls performed at the State High School Dance Championships in La Crosse. While collegiate teams are not judged and scored on their routine, the teams do consider State to be an important event.

“It is an opportunity for collegiate teams to showcase their individual styles and recruit dancers for upcoming years. I myself remember watching UW-Stevens Point in high school at state and dreaming to have the opportunity to be on a team as powerful as they were,” said senior Kirsten Phillips.

The state competition is also the final step for teams before competing in Nationals. The Dance Xtreme AmeriCup National Competition is held annually in Minneapolis, Minn. This year the Pointers will compete against teams from across the nation in two categories; pom and jazz.

“We consider ourselves to be very fortunate to be able to compete at the national level. This team has created a name for ourselves and the expectations seem to get higher every year,” said Phillips.

The National competition is a three day event, starting February 22nd and ending the 24th. The Pointers look to continue the success they have achieved all season and bring a little more hardware back to school.

“Last year we took first in our Open division, second in our pom division and second in our Jazz Division. The team is working really hard to keep our national standings and bring UWSP more trophies home,” said Hamland.

Phillips said this team strives every year to fill the footsteps of the dancers that came before them. With so much youth and talent, the legacy appears to be in good hands.