Countless hours of spins, kicks and dancing has paid off for the 2022 Aggie Dance Team.
Despite attending all home basketball games, hosting clinics, being full-time students and much more, the athletes of the dance team have squeezed practices into their busy schedules.
The 5 a.m. practices on school days and long weekends perfecting their routine was all in preparation for the The College Classic National Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
On Friday, April 1, they returned from New York where they were cheering on the men’s basketball team at the National Invitational Tournament. Then, on Thursday, April 7, the team headed to the Sunshine State ready to fight for another title.
The team is making the most of its first year under the Department of Athletics as the official dance team of Texas A&M Athletics.
On Sunday, April 10, A&M placed first for their D1A team performance with a score of 88.42. Eastern Michigan University placed second, with a score of 87.68 and University of Toledo finished third, 5.79 points behind the Aggies.
The team ranked second for their D1A jazz routine with a score of 91.24, 1.78 points shy of first place. Both routines were judged based on artistry, technique, execution of routine and showmanship.
In 2021, the team took home first in the jazz and team category. The 22 athletes are led by four-year head coach Amy Liefer. Liefer graduated from Auburn and was a member of the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders for five years.
“I am just so proud of this team,” Liefer said. “Winning another national championship for our team performance and getting second place in jazz among some incredible teams is a huge accomplishment for our second year competing. They worked incredibly hard on their performances in prelims on Saturday and finals on Sunday to perform their absolute best in finals and they did exactly that.
“They could not have performed better or given any more on Sunday. The teams we beat and were placed among have been competing and winning for over 10 years, so to be able to rank among them and beat them is something to be extremely proud of.”
