ISU Bengal

Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: University Relations

About two weeks ago, the Idaho State University Bengal Dancers boarded a plane bound for sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. This multiple day excursion to the tropical-like conditions of Florida was much more than a white sandy beach field trip. It was a chance to show their moves on an elite stage at the 2007 National Dance Alliance Collegiate Championship.

The Bengal Dancers brought home silver at the NDA Championship, which marks three consecutive years they have taken second place. The dancers and Hilary Hofmaier, the Spirit Squad director and Bengal Dancers' head coach, had been working relentlessly to prepare their two-minute and 12-second routine, which included jazz, pomp, and hip-hop.

Nineteen different teams from diverse parts of the nation competed in the NDA Division I Dance. There is a preliminary round, which eliminates 8 teams, leaving 11 teams to advance to the final round. After this preliminary round, ISU trailed only Towson University by a small margin. At the conclusion of the final round, ISU still trailed 9.10 to 9.21 in favor of Towson University, which was good enough for second place. It is worthy of note that the Bengal Dancers outscored Division IA Champions BYU and University of Louisville, along with Division II Champions Hawaii Pacific University.

The Bengal Dancers weren't the only ones who made the trek down south. The ISU Cheerleaders also competed in the 2007 National Cheerleading Association Collegiate Championship, which was held in Daytona Beach at the same time. This trip to Daytona Beach, for the cheerleaders, was their debut in this competition.

The ISU cheerleader routine consisted of a 45 second cheer along with a two-minute and 13 second display of jumps, stunts, tumbling and dancing. ISU competed in the NCA Division I Small Coed category against 16 other teams and finished eleventh place overall. Only 9 of the 17 teams advanced to the final round of competition. The Bengals received a 7.38 in the preliminary round, which eliminated their chances of advancement and sent them to something called the Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup is designed to allow the teams who didn't make it to finals during the preliminary round an opportunity to compete a second time. ISU finished second in the Challenge Cup, giving them an overall eleventh place finish in their division.

Tryouts for the 2007-2008 ISU Bengal Dance team are scheduled for Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. unto 6 p.m. They will be in Room 208, the dance room of Reed Gymnasium.

The ISU Cheerleading squad is coached by Nicole Clifford. Tryouts for the 2007-2008 ISU Cheerleaders will be held Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Room 101 of Reed Gym.

For more information regarding tryouts, contact Hilary Hofmaier at 282-4547 or hofmhil@isu.edu. Tryout and additional information is posted at www.isuspiritsquad.com.

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