The Red Raider Competitive Cheer and Dance had a busy but productive spring break. They had two meets with cheer at the Mount Marty Triangular and both teams at the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championships.
At the Mount Marty Triangular, the competitive cheer team came second out of three teams with a score of 89.62. On March 9, at the GPAC Championships, the team got first place out of eight teams with a score of 92.66, and a ticket to Nationals. Their final score was even better than their first round of the championships. They earned 91.02, bringing their final score to 92.66, the program’s best score since 2023, where they finished second in the GPAC.
Be sure to tune into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championships which are on March 29 and 30 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The Preliminary rounds will start at 4 p.m. on March 29, with the final round commencing on March 30 at 10 a.m.
The Dance team also went to the GPAC Championships on March 8. They finished eighth out of nine teams with a score of 67.8, which was a season best.
The teams have found ways to represent Northwestern in academics and athletics, with having one or more student-athletes being a Scholar Athlete, an All-Conference Athlete or All-American Honorable Mention.
They have found more than one way to stand out, Hannah Van Maaren is a fantastic example of this, as she earned the American State Bank Raider of the week for her performance at the GPAC championships as well as an All-Conference recognition. She sure is someone to keep an eye on in the next few years.
As the seasons come to a close, we can expect great things from both teams as they continue to grow under the leadership of their coaches, Taylor Decker and Michelle van Beek, as well as their upperclassmen.
