UNO Dance Team Earns No. 3 National Ranking

OMAHA – After several days of competition, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Dance Team will be returning home as the third-place team in the nation.

The third-place finish at the National Dance Alliance competition is a new gold standard for the team, which had finished the previous three years in fifth place (2014), seventh place (2013), and sixth place (2012).

"The team worked together this entire year and finally reached it's goal,” Head Coach Lisa Martin said. "This is a proud moment for the current members and the alumni of this organization. We received countless messages from alumni and other dancers around the metro after our accomplishment. I couldn't be more proud of this group of women."

Because of the team’s top-three performance, they will be performing on CBS Sports Sunday, May 10 alongside the nation’s first-and-second place teams, Towson and University of Missouri Kansas City.

The team of 22 students competed from Wednesday, April 8, and Thursday, April 9, against dozens of teams from across the country.

The members of this year’s team are:

Maegen Pruitt (captain)
Bradi Anderson (captain)
Danie Battaglia
Gabby Usrey
Chelsea Vorland
Katie Ondracek
Jess Ermler
Allie Burlingame
Justine Cruz
Sami Boyle
Caitlin Manley
Olivia Person
Ellisa Newman
Samantha Hyduke
Abbi Sivinski
Sammi Etheredge
Taylor Hanna
Nicole Hahn
Lauren Herrod
Morgan McCaw
Regina Waterman
Marissa Podkovich

The team earned its way into the tournament with an automatic bid by winning the National Dance Association Regional tournament in August 2014 against teams like Iowa State, Kansas State and eventual second-place finisher University of Missouri Kansas City.

The final rankings included:

Eighth Place – Southeast Missouri State University
Seventh Place – University of North Carolina Charlotte
Sixth – Radford University
Fifth - Eastern Kentucky University
Fourth – Boston University
Third – University of Nebraska at Omaha
Second – University of Missouri Kansas City
First – Towson University

In addition to their work at the competition, the dance team regularly performs at UNO athletic events as well as events like UNO’s Claussen-Leahy Run/Walk each April, the Back to School Bash at the Henry Doorly Zoo and the Juvenile Diabetes Walk.

For questions, please contact Charley Reed, Associate Director of Media Relations, at unonews@unomaha.edu or 402.554.2129.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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