Dance Team NATIONALS!

The University of Akron cheerleading squad and dance team traveled to Daytona, Florida to compete in the NCA/NDA collegiate national competition. This was the first year that the dance team has ever competed so we were all entering an entire new experience. We worked so hard months before leaving to compete and were so excited to create history being the first ever dance team from Akron to compete in a collegiate national competition. Our routine was very difficult, but so much fun at the same time. The music was great and I think it was a very entertaining performance. We rode a bus ALL the way to Daytona two days before competing and were there for another three days post competition. The bus ride was torture trying to sleep and get comfortable, but we had so much fun together bonding and joking around the whole time. I truly love my team and I couldn't have asked for a better group of ladies to be on a team with doing what I love. We help each other not only in dance, but we are there for each other in any situation. They are true friends to me as I am to them and I don't know how I would survive without them! We made the bus ride as much fun as we could, but it was definitely nice to finally arrive in sunny Florida! We spent the day relaxing and shopping until practice later on that night. It was unbelievable how many cheer and dance teams were there. There were teams from all over the nation and they were all extremely talented. There were cheerleaders and dancers everywhere you looked. I felt like I was in the movie "Bring It On" haha! We woke up early the next morning to compete in the Preliminary competition. We are in Division 1 which is the hardest division and with it being our first time competing, it was very intimidating to compete against such amazing teams. We just told ourselves we were going to go out there and give it all we had, but most importantly to have fun! We definitely had a blast performing and we danced to the best of our ability. We wanted to make a name for the University of Akron which I think we did. After we competed, we went and supported our cheerleaders. They did an awesome job and we were really proud of them. We spent the day watching other teams while we anxiously waited for results. After a long stressful day, we found out we made it to the Championship Cup! This isn't the highest round to make it to, but we were so excited to have made it that far. We finished 4th in the cup and 9th overall. We were very proud of ourselves to be ranked in the nation in the hardest college division! The rest of the time in Daytona was spent at the beach soaking up the sun! We all had so much fun together and will be a week none of us will ever forget!

Cassi & I right when we arrived in DAYTONA! :)

Having fun & being our crazy selves on the beach
after a long night of practice!My beautiful team and coach right before competing
in the Preliminary Competition!

Soaking up the sun after a long day of competition!

Before our night out on the town!

UA Dance <3>

This was not taken in Daytona, but yes this is the
2005 Miss Teen USA herself, Miss Allie LaForce!! I
ran into Allie while dancing at the Ohio University/Akron
game! She was there broadcasting the game! This was an
amazing surprise and I couldn't have been more excited to meet her!
She is just as beautiful inside as she is the out! I am so lucky
to have met such an incredible young lady :)