Dance earns at-large bid to nationals

Story by Nathalia Barr, Managing Editor

March 3, 2018

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

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

Story by Nathalia Barr, Managing Editor

February 12, 2018

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

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

Filed under Galleries, Spirit Squad, Sports

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

Story by Bailey Conklin, Sports Editor

June 12, 2017

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

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

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

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

Story by Bailey Conklin, Sports Editor

February 1, 2017

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

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

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

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...

Dance and cheer place at nationals

Story by Bailey Conklin, Sports Editor

April 20, 2016

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

Baker University’s cheer and dance teams both headed down to Daytona Beach, Florida, to compete in the 2016 NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championship from April 7-9. The cheer squad competed in the Ocean Center and placed fourth in the NAIA Small Coed Challenge Cup. The ‘Cats were...

Cheer and dance teams prepare for nationals

Story by Jenna Black, Photo Editor

March 29, 2016

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

The dance and cheer teams are making final preparations on their routines before they travel to Daytona Beach, Florida, for national competition April 6-10. The dance team is taking nine women to perform at the National Dance Association competition. The team recently traveled to Davenport, Iowa,...

Dance finishes second, cheer sixth at regionals

Story by Jenna Black, Photo Editor

February 22, 2016

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

The dance team placed second behind the host team, Oklahoma City University, and the cheer team put together a sixth-place finish at the NAIA South Regional Qualifier on Feb. 19 in Oklahoma City. The cheer team had its best performance of the season, according to senior co-captain Michelle Critchfield....

Dance takes first in dual against Ottawa

Story by Megan Henry

February 16, 2016

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

A remix of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” filled Collins Center Monday night as seven Baker University dancers performed a two-minute routine in a dual against Ottawa. Scoring a 99.7 out of 120, the Wildcats defeated the Braves by nearly 20 points, clinching a 99.7...

Dance team second at Lindenwood

Story by Jenna Black, Photo Editor

February 1, 2016

Filed under Spirit Squad, Sports

The dance team placed second in its second competition of the season at Lindenwood University in Belleville, Illinois, on Saturday, Jan. 30. Eight teams competed, and the Wildcats finished just one point behind first-place St. Ambrose University. “I think that from here our placements will only...