Daytona Beach, Fla. — The Aquinas College Dance Team has officially concluded their 2024-2025 season with their finishes at the National Dance Association National Championships held on Thursday and Friday (Apr. 10 & 11) in Daytona Beach, Florida.
This is the third year in a row that the Saints have made the trek down to the famed cheer and dance location of Daytona Beach. AQ has learned the customs of being a national squad. Aquinas competed in Team Performance, and also Jazz; this being a first for AQ.
Jazz
The NAIA Jazz category saw five total teams compete: Montreat, Point Park, Aquinas, Central Methodist, and St. Thomas. After their first day on the floor, AQ stamped an 81.2 performance, earning the way to finals the following day.
Returning for day two, the Saints increased their performance by a staggering 3.6857. AQ shook the stage for a finish of 84.8857, giving AQ the title of National Runner-Up.
St. Thomas took the national victory with an 85.8857, just a single point higher than Aquinas.
Here is how the finals finished:
| Place |
Institution |
Raw Score |
Event Score |
| 1st |
St. Thomas |
60.12 |
85.8857 |
| 2nd |
Aquinas |
59.42 |
84.8857 |
| 3rd |
Central Methodist |
58.54 |
83.6286 |
Team Performance
The Team Performance NAIA category totaled nine teams: William Woods, Texas Wesleyan, Cumberlands, Hope International, Pikeville, Aquinas, Missouri Baptist, Oklahoma City, and Roosevelt. The Saints dropped an 80.3 performance for prelims, separating themselves from the remainder of the teams, as no additional teams cracked the +80 point mark.
For finals, the AQDT managed to bump up the score by .65, earning them an overall third-place finish, earning their second trophy on the national championship trip.
This is how the finals finished out:
| Place |
Institution |
Raw Score |
Event Score |
| 1st |
Oklahoma City |
67.18 |
83.975 |
| 2nd |
Roosevelt |
66.86 |
83.575 |
| 3rd |
Aquinas |
64.76 |
80.95 |
| 4th |
Pikeville |
64.04 |
80.075 |
| 5th |
Missouri Baptist |
63.96 |
79.95 |
The Saints have finished their 2024-2025 competitive year, earning two national placing trophies. AQDT continues to demonstrate its strength, discipline, and prowess as one of the NAIA's dance strongholds.
This is what Head Coach
Ashley Kaman had to share about the team's top finishes: "I'm so proud of how our team performed this week in Daytona. We had tough competition in both categories, and we were able to make improvements in score and placement in both routines. This team has developed an incredible team culture, which was really showcased in their performances. It was an incredible ending to an already great season. Congratulations to all our AQDT dancers!"
Up Next
As this season has concluded, Aquinas now looks to set its sights on the 2025-2026 competitive season.
