Austin High School Dance Team seeking second State Championship
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(ABC 6 News) – This weekend, Minnesota high school dance and high kick teams will be in Minneapolis to compete for the state title, include the Austin High School Dance Team.
In 2022, the Austin Packers won their first high kick championship title, now they’re looking to secure another.
12 teams in Class AA will go head-to-head, half move on to finals, but only one will be named champion.
The team’s five Senior Captains, Kara Wolfs, Chloe Jenkins, Lily Flaherty, Maddie Staska, and Nora Tweeten say months of hard work have been leading up to this.
“Obviously with winning state last year we’ve approached this season wanting to keep that momentum,” says Tweeten. “We’re excited to compete again this weekend.”
This weekend, Minnesota high school dance and high kick teams will be in Minneapolis to compete for the state title, include the Austin High School Dance Team.
The captains say competition scores throughout the season have been close, but the Packers stand apart from other teams, known for their intensity.
“Last year we won state with a warrior routine, which is definitely more on the dramatic side,” says Tweeten. “We honestly love playing the character role.”
Regardless of the score they earn, the dancers say, this competition is about more than bringing home hardware.
“Getting to hang out with your friends every single day, and team bonding,” says Staska. “You all just become family throughout the season.”
For some dancers, this competition will be their last.
“It’s definitely sad but also exciting knowing that us five led this team to state, I’m very grateful that I could lead with such other good captains,” says Wolfs.
“It’s been fun to lead the team with these girls, we’ve literally been dancing with each other since we were two years old,” says Tweeten. “It’s definitely bittersweet to compete for the last time, but we’re grateful.”
The captains also want to say thank you to their coaches and staff at Austin High School, saying they wouldn’t be here without them.
The 2023 State Tournament for High Kick is Saturday Feb. 18th at the Target Center. Packers fans will be sitting in Section 126.