RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Having already earned their bid to the 2026 National Dance Association (NDA) National Championship, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) dance team is ready to begin its competition season, under the guidance of head coach, Dirvelys Allen.
 
Last Season
CUC competed in four competitions last year, the first of which was the 72^nd Annual Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT). The Cougars made history, taking first place for the first time ever, with a score of 57.70, over two points more than their closest competitor.
 
The Cougars came back to Geiseman Gymnasium, hosting the next two competitions. First, they competed in the Cougar Winter Collegiate Dance Invite. CUC shined, placing first in the Team Performance category, scoring 63.7 points, and second in the Pom category, scoring 62.7 points. The Cougars all three soloists medaled as well. Fatima Martinez (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) placed sixth, Cienna Reed (Milan, Ill.) placed second, and Ella Cook (Cicero, N.Y.) took gold.
 
A few weeks later, CUC hosted the Cougar Spring Collegiate Dance Invite, dominating the floor. The Cougars took first in both the Pom category and Team Performance category, scoring 63.35 and 66.8 points, respectively. With both first-place finishes, CUC was named the overall champion of the invite. In addition, Giselle Espinoza Carrera (Cicero, Ill.) placed eighth in her solo.
 
Then, CUC traveled to Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) to compete at the MSOE Midwest Invite. The team only performed in the Pom category, where the Cougars put on a strong performance. Cook was the lone soloist to place, earning a spot as an invite All-Star.
 
Nationals
Heading to Daytona Beach, Florida, the Cougars competed at the NDA College Dance Championship, in the preliminaries in both Pom and Team Performance. In Pom, the team had no deductions and scored a perfect ten in their collegiate image category. They also scored high in performance impression and staging. With a score of 82.57, for the first time in program history, the squad would head to the NDA Pom finals. The Cougars once against had a performance with no deductions and placed fourth in the nation for Pom.
 
Returning Cougars and New Faces
The Cougars return several key dancers to the floor for the Pom and Team Performance categories. These athletes include Amaya Moody (Berwyn, Ill.), Ariana Paez (Cicero, Ill.), Ximena Bautista (Cicero, Ill.), Addison Stewart (Rochelle, Ill.), Ella Cook (Cicero, N.Y.), Cienna Reed (Milan, Ill.), Gizelle Boyzo (Cicero, Ill.), and Leslie Briseno (Aurora, Ill.). Strong newcomers competing in these categories include Kaitlyn Witnik (Franklin Park, Ill.), Kaitlyn Pullin (Raceland, Ky.), Alexa Ciccia (Wood Dale, Ill.), Alexis Wolf (Addison, Ill.), and Grace Gagliano (Elmhurst, Ill.).
 
The Cougars are also adding a new category to compete in, Game Day Dance Rally and adding Mariah Castillo (Elmwood Park, Ill.), Jacqueline Vega-Martinez (Chicago, Ill.), Arianna Aguayo (Cicero, Ill.), Antoinette Hughes (Columbus, Ind.), Alexa Ortega (Hainesville, Ill.) and Airam Mejia Torres (Addison, Ill.) to the floor.
 
Coach's Input
"We are focused on the small but important details of what it means to be a successful team, embracing each day as an opportunity to chase greatness," Coach Allen commented on the season. "Our routines require more from our athletes this year, they are rigorous, emphasizing technical execution, difficulty, speed, and agility. It is going to be a great Spring to display competitive dance with pride."
 
A Look Ahead
Earlier this year, the Cougars competed at the NDA college camp at DePaul University, where they successfully earned their bid to NDA Nationals. A blend of rookies and veterans took the floor with Division I talent watching and showed out, earning second in team evaluations and securing their bid.
The Spring season begins this Saturday, February 21 at noon. The Cougars host the Winter Cougar Collegiate Dance Invite. A few weeks later, the Cougars will host the Spring Cougar Collegiate Dance Invite on Saturday, March 14. The following week, the team heads to Palos Height, Ill. to compete at the Trinity Christian College Dance Invite on Saturday, March 21. The final competition before Nationals will be the Nationals Showcase on Sunday, April 5, in Chicago, Ill.
 
The NDA College National Championship will be April 11-12.  
 
Coverage and updates regarding the dance team can be found at cucougars.com or on Instagram @CUCDance.