St. Thomas Dance Team places top five at UDA Nationals

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The University of St. Thomas Dance Team continued their legacy of national success this weekend, placing fourth in the nation in jazz and fifth in hip-hop at the UDA & UCA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship in Orlando, Fla.

This year's jazz routine, set to Gravity by Sara Bareilles, was choreographed by Head Coach Julia Harris and Tommie dance team alumna Danielle Osbeck '14. Alongside Harris, the team is also coached by fellow Tommie dance team alumna and assistant coach Megan Kaveney. Harris, a former Tommie dancer, has been on the coaching staff for 10 years and has spent the past five as head coach. During her tenure as head coach, Harris' teams have won seven national championships—six in the Open level and one at the Division I level last year. Their jazz performance earned them 93.0952 points, just under two points from the top spot.

Their hip-hop routine was choreographed by Trey Barber and performed to a mix produced by Chop Joes. The Tommies improved their finish by one spot after taking sixth in the category last year.

The Tommies have had a dominant presence at Nationals, winning 18 national championships at both the Open and Division I levels and never placing lower than sixth over the past four years. Last year, the team became the first St. Thomas team to take home a Division I national championship with their gold-medal performance in the DI Jazz competition.

The annual national championship is the highest level of competition for collegiate cheerleading and dance teams. The competition is hosted by Varsity Spirit and produced by the Universal Dance Association (UDA) and Universal Cheer Association (UCA).

-- St. Thomas Athletics --

University of St. Thomas Athletics

St. Thomas Dance Team places top five at UDA Nationals

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