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RCHS dance team reaches new heights

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RCHS dance team reaches new heights
Jason Unger

Roncalli Catholic Dance Coach, Chloe Staley just had a good feeling.

Staley and her team found themselves in Grand Island on Feb. 17 waiting impatiently for the public address announcer to go over the results of the Class C-1 Hip-Hop competition. “I had a really good feeling after the girls performed,” Staley said. “But, at the same time, dance is verysubjective and you never know if you did enough to impress the judges.”

The Crimson Pride dance team entered the 2024 state competition seeking the school’s first trophy so
awaiting the results was excruciating. The announcer named Fort Calhoun as the third-place finisher,
so the Crimson Pride remained hopeful. When it was announced that they were Class C-1 runner-up
members of the team jumped high into the air with excitement.

“That wait was so nerve-wracking,” exclaimed senior captain, Madalyn Harrison. “It was my final state
and I knew I was either going to walk away with nothing or I was going to walk away with the team’s
first trophy. We knew we performed really well, but it was still very scary.”

The team finished less than three points behind defending Hip-Hop champ Conestoga and graciously
grasped the runner-up trophy.

Staley, a 2014 Roncalli Catholic graduate, has transformed the Crimson Pride dance team in a short
time through hard work and dedication. “I love coaching this team so much,” Staley added. “They have worked so hard and have improved so much.”

Many of the team members had no formal dance training and had to start from scratch. Harrison established
herself as a leader and saw four years of hard-work pay off when the runner-up medal was
placed around her neck. “This team has come so far and has so much to be proud of,” said Harrison. “Only three of us have any
dance background. The ones who didn’t have any formal training worked so hard and really improved and that is why we were able to have the success that we were able to have.”

Harrison said that the momentum built throughout the season as the team encountered more and
more success. “Our practices were just going so well and everyone was holding each other accountable,” Harrison added.
“We competed in an all-class competition for hip-hop and finished second as the only Class C team there. That gave us a ton of confidence.”

The dance squad also added a fifth-place finish in Jazz, finishing less than a point out of third.
The 2023-24 RCHS team members include: Harrison, Lilly McGuire (Sr), Josie Gorczyca (Jr), Lucia Palzer
(Jr), Evvy Drexel (So), Brooklyn Stoffel (So), Josie Alemdjrodo (So), Lucas Rasmussen (Fr), Laney Crinklaw
(Fr) and Ryley Smith (Fr).

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