Two National Titles Come Home With The Minnesota Dance Team

GopherSports.com

The University of Minnesota Dance Team brought home the National Championship in both Division 1A Jazz and Division 1A Pom. The team was the first dance team to capture the coveted double title within the Division 1A College National Championship.

The UDA College National Championship is held in Orlando, FL. The championship involves three steps of competition all of which the Golden Gopher Dance Team finished in 1st. The first step is when each team submits a video to qualify for the National Championship which results in national rankings leading into the weekend. Upon arrival in Florida, each team competes in a semi-final round to determine the qualifying teams for finals. The final round of competition was held on Sunday, January 17th in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex with teams representing the Big 10, Pac 10, SEC, ACC and Big East Conferences.

When asked how to describe what it felt like when they called Minnesota for the title in both divisions, Senior Captain Toni Gabrielli said, "It was a feeling of disbelief. Oddly enough, it was a humbling experience to hear Minnesota called after three years of being on the other side of things. Our team already felt like champions because of the work we put into our routines before even arriving in Orlando. Having our drive and passion acknowledged and appreciated by people we respect is just icing on the cake!"

The University of Minnesota Dance Team won the National Championship in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. The 2010 Championship is the 5th Title in the program's history.