Topics

More

Lion Ambassador Tommy Kiefer Wins Inaugural THON Dancer Pageant

A virtual THON Weekend has allowed for some new opportunities for different activities and entertaining segments to keep dancers and spectators going for 46 hours.

For THON’s first ever Dancer Pageant, nine dancers showcased one of their talents in a sixty-second video clip. From there, viewers could vote on their favorite performance by logging on to Twitter and tweeting out “#THONPageant #TeamDancerFirstName.”

Check out a play by play of these nine very talented dancers below:

Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt, Orchesis

First up was senior Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt, who performed a dance routine set to Leona Lewis’ classic “Keep Bleeding Love.” Hammerschmidt is a senior dancing for general THON organization and Penn State dance company Orchesis, who first started dancing when she was three years old.

Tommy Kiefer, Lion Ambassadors

Next was Tommy Kiefer, who is part of Lion Ambassadors and fancies himself a comedian. His routine consisted of telling as many dancing-related jokes as he could while microwaving a cup of mac and cheese for 60 seconds — it was pretty ~cheesy~.

Elizabeth Haley, Pi Beta Phi

Pi Beta Phi’s Elizabeth Haley performed the Moskau TikTok dance alongside her friend, Lydia McIntyre, who was also a contestant in the pageant. Haley definitely did not come to mess around, and completely stole the show with her fire dance moves and facial expressions. Charli D’Amelio who?

James Latch, Delta Upsilon

Senior James Latch is one of THON’s Communications Captains, but this weekend, he’s also dancing for Delta Upsilon. His talent was a little out there, and consisted of seeing how many pretzel rods he could fit in his mouth. Just to make sure we all knew why we’re here, a friend helpfully declared, “FTK” with each pretzel that went in Latch’s mouth. Ultimately, the grand total was 16 pretzel rods.

Jasmine Forsberg, Independent Dancer Couple

Senior Jasmine Forsberg, who is one half of an Independent Dancer Couple (IDC) this year, sang a rendition of “Reflection” from Mulan. As a Musical Theatre major, Forsberg has been singing since she was a child and her father realized she was talented enough to pursue it as more than a hobby.

Chuck Myers, Alpha Tau Omega

Senior Chuck Myers is dancing for Alpha Tau Omega this year. He showed off his golf skills by bouncing a golf ball on a club. In his interview, he explained that his father has had him golfing since he was two years old.

Madisen Patanella, Alpha Delta Pi

Senior Madisen Patanella is a senior dancing for Alpha Delta Pi, as well as the sorority’s overall THON Chair. For sixty seconds, she hula hooped along to “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana. Her deadpan expression as she stared into our souls from the camera really sold her dedication to her craft.

Ryan Bechman, Ohana

Ryan Bechman is a senior dancing for Ohana. For his talent, he played a ukulele cover of the Lilo and Stitch classic, “Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride,” with a mirror image of himself on TikTok. Fun fact: his mom was also a THON dancer when she attended Penn State!

Lydia McIntyre, Pi Beta Phi

Lydia McIntyre from Pi Beta Phi. Played recorder with her nose. Some of her truly electric renditions included “John Cena,” “Baby Shark” and “Old Town Road.” McIntyre was definitely an Onward State favorite, as many were rooting for her to win.


After the dancers performed their routines, we got to see interviews with each of the contestants, where questions consisted of everything ranging from how the dancers first got involved with THON to what part they would be if they were part of a bicycle.

Once the Twitter votes were counted up, Tommy Kiefer was officially declared the winner of THON’s inaugural dancer pageant!

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Katie Moats

Katie Moats is a senior majoring in English, and her goal this year is to get a big girl job. Seriously, though, if you're looking for someone who can write and edit like nobody's business, she's Katelyn Moats on LinkedIn and will literally interview with you tomorrow. You can follow her @k_moats24 on Twitter for stupid content, but if it's something serious, feel free to shoot her an email (preferably in the form of a poem) to [email protected].

Penn State Football Recruiting Staff Navigating Tricky College Football Landscape

“We’re all trying to feel out the landscape to try and figure out how to advance in the new world of college football that involves NIL and compensation for the players.”

What To Do In Indianapolis For The Big Ten Championship

From the Roar Tour Pep Rally to the Big Ten Fast Fest, there’s lots to do in Indianapolis before the Big Ten Championship this weekend.

Penn State References You Didn’t Catch In ‘Wicked: Part I’

Did you know that Stephen Schwartz wrote the musical “Wicked” about Penn State?

113kFollowers
164kFollowers
62.7kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
Sign up for our Newsletter
Other posts by Katie

Trusting Your Gut: Katie Moats’ Senior Column

“I uprooted my life and came to Penn State because I decided to follow a series of gut feelings, and I’ve been following those feelings ever since. I’m not sure where my next feeling will lead me, but I’m excited to see how it all turns out.”

We Want To See Your Best Graduation Pictures

SPA To Host Charli XCX For Virtual Concert April 23