University of St. Thomas Athletics
Tommie Cheer, Dance shine on national stage
1/20/2026 11:40:00 AM | Spirit Squad
Dance earns two fifth-place finishes; Cheer places top-20 nationally at UCA/UDA Nationals
ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of St. Thomas cheer and dance teams delivered standout performances at the UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, as the dance team brought home two fifth-place finishes and the cheer team took in two top-20 finishes Jan. 16–18 at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
The Tommie Dance Team continued its tradition of national success with fifth-place finishes in both Division I Jazz and Division I Hip-Hop. Grand Canyon University claimed first place in jazz, while Weber State University won the hip-hop title.
"As a coach, I couldn't be more proud of the performances we put on the floor and above all, the way the athletes represented the shield and upholding the love and tradition of St. Thomas," said Tommie Dance head coach Julia Harris. Harris is a former Tommie dancer and has been involved with the program as a coach for the past 12 years, including 7 as head coach. During Harris' tenure as head coach, the Tommie Dance Team has earned seven national championships—six in the Open level and one at the Division I level in 2023, the team's second year competing at the Division I level.
This year's dance team is captained by Ella Ronkainen, Danielle Nelson, Nilla Baumgartner and Makayla Conzemius.
The Tommie Cheer Team capped a historic weekend by finishing 15th in the nation in the All Girl Division I Game Day category with a final score of 80.2667. The Tommies also placed inside the top 20 nationally in the All Girl Division I category.
"They have continued to raise the bar and represented St. Thomas on the national stage – we couldn't be more proud of this team," remarked St. Thomas head cheer coach Jessica Peters following the event.
The cheer team is led by captains Anna Leamy, Kaylee Bachman, Claire Lingenfelter and Hannah Hoppe.
At last year's UDA Nationals, the Tommie Dance team took home second in the nation in jazz and sixth in hip-hop while the Tommie Cheer team made its second appearance ever at the event, competing in multiple events for the first time.
The annual championship, hosted by Varsity Spirit and produced by the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and Universal Dance Association (UDA), represents the highest level of collegiate cheer and dance competition.
Support the Tommies
To support the Tommie Cheer or Dance programs and their continued success on the national stage, donations can be made by clicking the Donate button on TommieSports.com and selecting "Cheer Team" or "Dance Team" as the designation.
The Tommie Dance Team continued its tradition of national success with fifth-place finishes in both Division I Jazz and Division I Hip-Hop. Grand Canyon University claimed first place in jazz, while Weber State University won the hip-hop title.
"As a coach, I couldn't be more proud of the performances we put on the floor and above all, the way the athletes represented the shield and upholding the love and tradition of St. Thomas," said Tommie Dance head coach Julia Harris. Harris is a former Tommie dancer and has been involved with the program as a coach for the past 12 years, including 7 as head coach. During Harris' tenure as head coach, the Tommie Dance Team has earned seven national championships—six in the Open level and one at the Division I level in 2023, the team's second year competing at the Division I level.
This year's dance team is captained by Ella Ronkainen, Danielle Nelson, Nilla Baumgartner and Makayla Conzemius.
The Tommie Cheer Team capped a historic weekend by finishing 15th in the nation in the All Girl Division I Game Day category with a final score of 80.2667. The Tommies also placed inside the top 20 nationally in the All Girl Division I category.
"They have continued to raise the bar and represented St. Thomas on the national stage – we couldn't be more proud of this team," remarked St. Thomas head cheer coach Jessica Peters following the event.
The cheer team is led by captains Anna Leamy, Kaylee Bachman, Claire Lingenfelter and Hannah Hoppe.
At last year's UDA Nationals, the Tommie Dance team took home second in the nation in jazz and sixth in hip-hop while the Tommie Cheer team made its second appearance ever at the event, competing in multiple events for the first time.
The annual championship, hosted by Varsity Spirit and produced by the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and Universal Dance Association (UDA), represents the highest level of collegiate cheer and dance competition.
Support the Tommies
To support the Tommie Cheer or Dance programs and their continued success on the national stage, donations can be made by clicking the Donate button on TommieSports.com and selecting "Cheer Team" or "Dance Team" as the designation.
Players Mentioned
Cheer
/ Spirit Squad
Dance
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Dance
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Cheer
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Cheer
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Cheer
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Dance
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