Dance Takes Fourth at GPAC Championship

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Great Plains Athletic Conference hosted its 2026 Dance Championship at Northwestern today, pitting the league's nine teams against each other for an automatic pass to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Dance National Championship. The conference also unveiled its 2026 all-conference selections, placing Emma Anderson, Cali Cooper, and Hannah Dillehay on its first and second all-conference teams.

Morningside placed fourth in the GPAC Competition, ending the day with a total score of 87.16 points. The Mustangs scored 86.15 points in the preliminary round, entering the finals with the fourth-best score.

In the final round of competition, Morningside recorded a score of 87.50 points. The total score of 87.16 points is reached by combining 25 percent of the preliminary score with 75 percent of the final round score.

Anderson, Cooper, and Dillehay received all-conference accolades, following the submission of an audition video, which featured a standard set of skills and a choreographed routine, to be reviewed by a panel of judges. Anderson and Cooper received first-team marks for their submission, while Dillehay was named to the second team.

The Mustangs will now await the release of at-large qualifiers for the national championship. The NAIA will announce its qualifying field on March 16 via a selection show at 6:30 p.m.