The Penn State Lionettes dance team made program history at the Universal Dance Association National Championships. At this past weekend’s event, the Lionettes earned the title of third in the nation in the Division 1A pom category. 

The Universal Dance Association National Championships (UDA Nationals) is the premiere competition for top dance teams across the United States. This year, it was held from January 12 through 14. The event occurs yearly at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, and includes a variety of style categories and divisions for university teams. 

“The teams work relentlessly all year to get the skills and details in their dances as flawless as possible for their two-minute performances,” Lionettes head coach Jackie Hovis said. “UDA Nationals is the only time that these dance teams get to showcase their true talents and their hard work.”

The Lionettes prepare throughout the year to compete at the highest collegiate level. Other key participants at UDA Nationals featured Ohio State and Minnesota, which earned this year’s national title.

“This competition is often known as the dance Super Bowl,” Hovis said. “This year, the Lionettes were hungry and represented Penn State with such pride as they gave everything they had when performing their dances.”

Last year, the Lionettes made program history by advancing to the finals in two categories: pom and jazz. This year, the momentum continued, with the ladies clinching a final top-three finish in pom, one of the most competitive categories. 

“When they announced that the girls received third place, their choreographers and I were screaming and crying,” Hovis said. “We couldn’t help it because we knew how much work they did to get to this point. In the moment when they earned third place, I was bursting with pride and I still am. I knew that they just made Penn State history.”

To finish in the top three, the Lionettes advanced from the preliminary category to the semifinals before ultimately competing in the final round of competition. While many schools prepare to compete in all three rounds, a team isn’t guaranteed to advance, and scores must be earned through performance quality. 

According to official UDA competition results, the Lionettes first earned an event score of 92.7778 in the semifinals, placing fifth in the division. In the following round, the team then elevated its score to 96.4762, jumping two spots ahead of Texas Tech and Tennessee to end the competition as third in the nation. 

This year, the Lionettes welcomed Hovis to the group, building upon last year’s progress with a key group of senior leaders and captains. With a committed practice schedule, the team prepared routines featuring original choreography from Hovis and choreographers Haylee Holland and Jess Stevenson.

Holland and Stevenson are Arizona State University dance alumni and collaborated on the award-winning routine. Hovis is also a former member of the Lionettes herself.

“This team has gone through so many changes and obstacles, but that did not stop them from fighting to earn a spot in the top three in the nation,” Hovis said. “This group of girls didn’t want to just go to nationals, they wanted to be considered one of the best.”

Celebrating the success truly earned, the team returned to Happy Valley with its new recognition.

“They are most certainly some of the most athletic and hardworking people I know, and it was an absolute pleasure to be with them on this journey,” Hovis said.