Struss Garners All-Conference Honors

 (Sioux City, Iowa) – The 2023 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Cheer and Dance All-Conference Team has been selected.  

Izzy Smith from Midland University was selected as the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Cheer Athlete-of-the-Year and Kelsey Brady from Doane University has been selected as the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Dance Athlete-of-the-Year.

To be selected to the All-Conference teams the student-athletes needed to perform a set of skills as outlined by the NAIA Cheer and Dance Coaches' Handbook.  A minimum score on these skills (as judged) was required for selection to the teams.

Joe Erickson from Mount Marty was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Cheer Coach-of-the-Year.  Mel Knobloch from Dordt and Ashley Lyon from Doane was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Dance Co-Coaches-of-the-Year.

The Midland Cheer and Doane Dance teams won the GPAC Championships on Friday and Saturday, February 24-25, at Doane University in Crete, Nebraska.

GPAC Dance All-Conference Team

Name School Class Hometown

*Kelsey Brady Doane Sr. Malcolm, Neb.

Adriana Krueger Midland Jr. Omaha, Neb.

Caitlin Gardner Midland Jr. Overland Park, Kan.

Taylor Jacobsen Midland Sr. Lincoln, Neb.

Ryleigh Flesner Concordia Fr. Greeley, Colo.

McKenna Wiley Doane Fr. Lincoln, Neb.

Katherine Birtell Concordia Jr. Columbus, Neb.

Emory Throener Midland Jr. Lincoln, Neb.

Hannah Walker Midland So. Rapid City, S.D.

Nicole Everhart Doane Jr. Gretna, Neb.

Taylor Larsen Concordia Fr. Ravenna, Neb.

Callie Stephens Morningside Jr. Council Bluffs, Iowa

Grace Staley Midland Jr. Omaha, Neb.

Sinay Diaz' Morningside So. Sioux Center, Iowa

Yanira Bueso Dordt Fr. Hawarden, Iowa

Emily Struss Hastings Jr. Hastings, Neb.

Kelly Leuthaeuser Midland Fr. Omaha, Neb.

Natalie Hammer Midland Jr. York, Neb.

Jocelyn Hendrix Morningside Sr. Council Bluffs, Neb.

Aubrey Belzer Dordt Jr. Pella, Iowa

Danielle Thompson Morningside So. Colorado Springs, Colo.

Samantha Knapp Doane So. Elm Creek, Neb.

Honorable Mention: Chloe Barcus (Morningside), Maddy Fauver (Midland), Riley Dohren (Morningside), Riley Lanning (Hastings), Brooke Harvey (Morningside), Paige Christensen (Midland), Jill Hofer (Dordt), Kiersten Anderson (Doane), Avery Lewis (Concordia), Kathryn Rohweder (Hastings), Macie Sefrit (Doane), Alyssah Malmberg (Midland), Jenna Aalbers (Northwestern), Alaina Kuhns (Hastings), Bess Telfer (Morningside)

*Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Dance Athlete-of-the-Year:
Kelsey Brady, Doane

Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Dance Co-Coaches-of-the-Year: 

Mel Knobloch, Dordt and Ashley Lyon, Doane

For the final results from the GPAC Cheer and Dance Championships go to:

GPAC Dance Championship - FULL RELEASE

GPAC Cheer Championship - FULL RELEASE