ORLANDO, Fla. — The UIndy dance team won its third national title over the weekend at the College Classic, which is run by the Dance Team Union and held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.. The event featured teams from all three NCAA Divisions, the NAIA, and Junior Colleges competing in dance and cheer competitions. Each category of dance divisions featured pom, jazz, hip-hop, and team performance.
 
INS & OUTS
The Greyhounds competed in the Division II category in the pom and team performance competitions. The team competed in a preliminary round on Saturday, with finals coming the following day.
 
The Hounds won their national title in the team performance category for the second time in program history. The category is a mix of 30 seconds of each disipline competed at the tournament: pom, hip-hop, and jazz. "It is known to be a very demanding and athletic style of dance due to the endurance required to compete all styles in one routine," said head coach Carlee Bachek.
 
The team competed with a storm-themed dance and won the preliminary round with 85.88 points, with Saginaw Valley was close behind with 85.50. The Hounds continued to show their stuff and  claimed the championship the following day in the final round of 89.28 points.
 
In pom, UIndy earned 83.27 points during prelims, putting them in sixth place going into finals the next day. The Greyhounds jumped up to fifth place in the finals after collecting 87.18 points. SVSU won the pom competition with 90.88 points
 
The Greyhounds were also given a chance to compete in a Battle. The Battle at the College Classic features select teams chosen from the preliminary rounds to battle other schools, regardless of classification, in a high-energy head-to-head competition. The Battle is an honor that only the top teams from the preliminary rounds are invited to compete in and is a non-scored event to determine who has the best routine in that category. The Hounds competed against Towson University in the Team Performance category but lost to the Tigers.

HOUND BYTES
Coach Bachnek on this season's success...
"This season our team worked incredibly hard on all fronts! We pushed ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally to be the very best we could be at each and every practice. The dancers on the team this season are very hard-working and have created a team dynamic in which everyone is accountable to each other. Our drive and determination have given way to this success and it is so well deserved. We worked hard to bring home our third national championship, and I am so proud of each dancer who helped make our goal a reality!"