Not only did they place second in the preliminary rounds for Team Performance but held their place and even improved their score in the finals. Head Coach Kolissa Manchan said, “We’ve been competing for years and placed all over but consistently have been fourth. Our goal has been to get into the top three, so to place second is incredible.”
The girls looked at the judges’ comments after their prelims performance, corrected their mistakes, and came back with even more energy. There was an initial shock among the dancers when their score was called, followed by pure excitement.
Coach Manchan said this is a special group of dancers, and their competitive spirit and commitment to the team is the reason they were able to pull of this huge win. She said, “This is a year where I’ve had everyone on the same page, they all wanted to be there,
work hard, and perform well."
Idaho State University Athletic Director Pauline Thiros commented: “Our dance team’s remarkable 2 nd place finish at nationals embodies the spirit of excellence and dedication that defines the athletes in our spirit program.”
The Bengal Dance Team has their tryouts for next season at the end of next month on May 24 th and 25 th . If you’re interested in joining this competitive spirit squad, please register online at isu.edu/bengaldancers/tryouts and follow them on social media.
