The Baker Orange

Baker dance sees most All-American dancers ever in a single year

This is the largest group of All-American dancers the Baker dance team has ever had in a single year in Baker history.

Story by Isabel Ashley, News Editor

March 10, 2020

The competition season for Baker dance team has been a memorable one so far, as the team won both their conference and regionals. They have been working towards these achievements since October and will have competed in eight competitions by the end of the season. When asked about the team’s success, Coach...

Tags: All-American, All-American Dancers, baker, baker athletics, Baker dance, Baker Dance Team, Baker University, Baker Wildcats, Dance Team, Lynsey Payne, NAIA, spirit squad, Wildcats

Cheer finishes season with eighth place finish in Midwest Regional Qualifier

The cheer team improved it's performance for the qualifiers at the end of the season to seek an eighth place finish.

Story by Justin Toumberlin

March 2, 2020

Tags: baker athletics, baker cheer, Baker Wildcats, Collins Center, collins gymnasium, Wildcats

Baker Dance becomes Midwest Regional Qualifier

The Baker Dance Team shows their passion in their upbeat, modern dances. Baker's choreography led them to win the Midwest Regional Qualifier and secure a bid to the 2020 NAIA National Tournament.

Story by Sydney Jo Boaz, Staff Photographer

February 29, 2020

Tags: 91st Oscar Nominations, baker, Baker Dance Team, Baker University

Weekend full of competition for dance and cheer

The Wildcats dance team placed first in two competitions this weekend.

Story by Makenzie Musgrove, Sports Editor

February 4, 2020

The Baker University Dance and Cheer teams had a very busy weekend with three competitions over three days. Dance and Cheer started their weekend in Olathe, Kan. on Fri. Jan. 31 with a competition at MidAmerica Nazarene University in the MNU Invitational. The Wildcat dance team came away from the...

Tags: baker athletics, Baker Classic, Baker Wildcats, Benedictine Challenge, cheer, Dance, Heart of America, MNU Invitational

Dance team welcomes only male member

Freshman Stephen Long executes a jump on Taft Bridge on Nov. 30. Long is a member of the dance team including the competition team.

Story by Jenna Black, Managing Editor

December 10, 2018

Dance helps freshman Stephen Long express his sexuality and embrace his personality. Dance also gave him the confidence to try out for the dance team at Baker. The multiple-time, NAIA-National-Championship-qualifying dance team welcomed Long as its only male dancer. The dancers see him as just another...

Tags: Baker dance, male dancer, Stephen Long

Dance earns at-large bid to nationals

The Baker dance team performs their routine at the 2018 NAIA Southeast Regional competition in Collins Center. Baker was in first place after the preliminary round, and took third overall.

Story by Nathalia Barr, Managing Editor

March 3, 2018

The dance team qualified for the 2018 NAIA Competitive Dance National Championship. This is the second year the sport will have an NAIA National Championship as the NAIA recognized cheerleading and dance as championship sports in 2017. Baker took home third place last year at the inaugural competiti...

Dance takes third at conference

Freshman Gracie Chambers leaps across the floor during the dance team's routine on Jan. 28. The team's first place performance was choreographed to Lady Gaga's

Story by Nathalia Barr, Managing Editor

February 12, 2018

The Baker University dance team competed at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships on Feb. 3 at Grand View University. The dance team placed third overall, finishing with 73.71 points behind Grand View and Avila. Avila has taken the top spot at the past fi...

Cheer and dance host Baker Classic

January 30, 2018

The Baker cheer and dance teams hosted the 2018 Baker Classic inside Collins Center on Jan. 28. Nine cheer teams and four dance teams competed in the competition. The dance team placed first and the cheer team finished in eighth. Both teams will travel to Grand View University for the Heart Championships...

Baker cheer spans three generations for graduating senior

Family cheer tree of the Geenens family.

Story by Bailey Conklin, Sports Editor

June 12, 2017

For Baker University, tradition is something taken very seriously. For Brooke Geenens and her family, Baker is a key factor in her own family’s tradition. Geenens, along with six other family members have not only all cheered during their college careers, but have all cheered at Baker University....

Dance team takes third at nationals

Story by Nathalia Barr, Managing Editor

March 16, 2017

The Baker University Dance team took third place at the inaugural NAIA Competitive Dance National Championships on March 11 in Oklahoma City. Baker was just 0.85 points behind second-place Aquinas and 5.6 points behind the first-place Midland team. The NAIA’s recent decision to consider dance and...

Baker dance team starts season with two wins

The Baker dance team has won its first two competitions in 2017. The team will be competing in the Baker Regional Preview on Feb. 5 in the Collins Center. Image by Shelby Stephens.

Story by Bailey Conklin, Sports Editor

February 1, 2017

The Baker dance team began its competitive season with two first-place finishes in its opening weekend of competitions. The team started its winning weekend off at the Missouri Baptist Spartan Showcase on Friday, Jan. 20, and completed its weekend with a first-place finish at the Lindenwood-Belleville...

Cheer and dance become NAIA varsity sports

Story by Brittney Diehm

May 3, 2016

Competitive cheer and dance are now the 24th and 25th national championships sponsored by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. This news was released recently during the 75th annual NAIA National Convention. Baker’s head dance coach, Lynsey Payne, joined NAIA President and CEO...