Today@Sam Article

Orange Pride Dance Team Wins Third Consecutive National Championship

April 20, 2022
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton

By Lidia Gutierrez

Sam Houston State University’s Orange Pride Dance Team won first place in the Team Performance D1 Category at the National Dance Alliance Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship last week in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Orange Pride registered a score of 94.12, which is the highest in Sam Houston State’s history within the category.

“Winning a title at a national level takes an extreme amount of time and dedication,” said Coach Sarah Garcia. “The dancers are practicing 14 to 20 hours a week, six days a week, while balancing a full-time academic schedule and games/appearances.”

The Orange Pride Dance Team has now won 11 national titles since 1998. This is also the second time that the program to has won three consecutive national titles in SHSU history.

More than 8,000 participants and 355 teams from college across the country competed for the National Champion title – the highest ever in NCA and NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship history.

“The sacrifices that these student-athletes make are monumental. It requires them to be diligent in time management, goal setting, and task-oriented,” said Garcia. “The work that goes into those hours in practice is difficult to put into words.”

According to Bill Seely, president of Varsity Spirit the organization that oversees the competition, the event for 2022 broke past participation records.

“Year after year, teams from across the country come together at the NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship to showcase their skills and represent their universities,” Seely said “This much-anticipated event has grown in popularity every year, and we are thrilled with the turnout this year as the largest event in NCA & NDA College Nationals history. It's an honor and a privilege to provide a world-class event at one of the most iconic cheer and dance venues where we can recognize student athletes for their hard work, dedication to their universities and talent."

National Champion D1 Team Performance First Place- choreographed by Mrs.Brittany Humphrey. This whole year we have loved performing this warrior themed routine as a group, as it symbolizes the fight we have all together as a team. “Thanks for making me a fighter”. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/jqpdgU41UO

— Orange Pride Dance Team (@SHSU_OPDT) April 12, 2022

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