Grinnell Tiger Paws earn top honors at two dance competitions

Members of the Grinnell Tiger Paws Dance Team area all masked up as they proudly show off the hardware they earned at the 45th Annual Iowa State Dance Team Championship held Nov. 15-17 at Wells Fargo Arena. The team placed fifth in Class V Hip-Hop, fourth in Class III Jazz and third in Class IX Pom. Pictured are, front row, from left: Kylie Cline, Lindsey Hollibaugh, Megan Hollingsworth, Lydia Roudabush  Not pictured: Megan Sieck. Middle row: Brielle Sherman, Jenna Mintle, Sopha Tyler, Jenna Davenport, Olivia Blankenfeld. Back row: Lily Schmidt, Bela Hoffman, Jaedyn Arment and Daria Kline. Photo by Haley Loftin, Tiger Paw alum.

   The Grinnell Tiger Paws dance team participated in two competitions this past fall, placing in the top five at both events.
   At Stack the Stands, which was held at Cedar Rapids Prairie High School on Saturday, Oct. 24, the Tiger Paws entered the competition virtually, placing third in Varsity Hip-hop, second in Small Varsity Pom and earning first place honors in Small Varsity Jazz! This was the first time the dance team had performed at Stack the Stands.
   In addition to the team dance routines, soloists Lindsey Hollibaugh, Megan Hollingsworth, Lydia Roudabush, Jenna Davenport, Sophia Tyler, Jenna Mintle, and Olivia Blankenfeld competed for judge’s comments in preparation for state solo competition.
   The Tiger Paws hit the dance floor for a second time at the 45th Annual Iowa State Dance Team (ISDTA) Championship, held Nov. 17-19 at Wells Fargo Arena.
   As with the first dance competition, Grinnell performed and recorded the dance routines in the GHS gym and were judged virtually. Grinnell placed fifth in Class V Hip-Hop, fourth in Class III Jazz and received third-placed honors in Class IX Pom.
   Soloists Lindsey Hollibaugh, Megan Hollingsworth, Lydia Roudabush, Jenna Davenport, Sophia Tyler, and Jenna Mintle competed for a panel of three judges and all soloists were awarded a medal for their Division I rating.
   The dance team was also awarded plaques for their excellence in community service and their distinguished academics, as well as recognition for their fundraising efforts for this year’s Susan G. Komen MORE THAN PINK walk.
   “The Tiger Paws dance team continued to work hard, strive for success, and maintain positivity all season in the face of continuous uncertainty of what both their performance and competition schedules would look like this year,” said dance coach, Molly Loftin. “Their success at both competitions is a direct result of the dedication the girls have for their team!”
   The Tiger Paws are coaches by Brielle Beck and Molly Loftin.