V-Hawk Competitive Dance Slated for Fifth Straight National Championships

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- The V-Hawk Competitive Dance team is headed back to the national stage. On Monday, March 16, the program officially secured an at-large bid to the 2026 NAIA National Championships in Topeka, Kansas. This year's bid marks a significant milestone in the team's competitive journey. This year's qualification will be the V-Hawks' fifth consecutive appearance at the national competition, a testament to the program's consistency, growth, and rising reputation within the NAIA dance community. 

HISTORY

The Competitive Dance Team was only officially added as a varsity sport back in the 2018-2019 season, only seven years ago. Since then, under the helm of head coach Anna Luz, the team has made immense strides towards becoming a premier dance team in the NAIA. In 2019, their innaugural year, the V-Hawks finished the season with a 72.48 scoring average. The following year in 2020, the V-Hawks improved to a 75.78 average, claiming their first All-American honors as well. They followed it up with a 74.23 average score in 2021. In 2022, the V-Hawks had a break out season, averaging an 82.14 for the season and qualifying for their first NAIA National Championships. The V-Hawks qualified again in 2023 and 2024 with averages just under the 80.00 mark. In 2023, the V-Hawks further cemented themselves as a top competitive dance team in the league when Nyah Brooks was named as the NAIA Co-Dancer of the Year. 

Since then, the V-Hawks have continued to grow and establish themselves. In the 2025 season, the team surged to an 87.70 average score. During the season, the V-Hawks broke barriers that they hadn't in the past. On February 8, 2025, the V-Hawks scored above 90.00 for the first time with a 91.05 team score. The V-Hawks continued through their season with every score falling above 85.00 in the regular season. The V-Hawks went on to have their best finish at the NAIA National Championships in program history with fifth place. The team also tied their highest number of All-Americans in a season, finishing with eight All-Americans. 

THE 2026 SEASON

This year, the V-Hawks have maintained an average score of 87.47 throughout the season, including a new record-high score at the American Midwest Conference Championships. In the preliminary round of competition, the V-Hawks came close to beating their record with a 90.92 score. In the finals round, the V-Hawks pushed to earn a new program record with a 91.14. Throughout the season, the V-Hawks have claimed first-place finishes in two competitions and second place finishes in four competitions. 

Alongside their impressive year of scores, the V-Hawks have been recognized heavily for their talent. On two occasions this season, the V-Hawks earned AMC Dancer of the Week honors. Carly Skroback earned the award in week one, and Trey'lon Salley became the first male to win the award in February. At the conference championships, every single dancer on the team earned All-Conference honors. Seven dancers were named to the AMC First Team and one dancer was named to the AMC Second Team. 

The V-Hawks got additional recognition from the conference as well. Erica Laskey was named as the conference's Freshman of the Year as the only freshman on the V-Hawk squad. Trey'lon Salley earned the highest honor in the conference, being named the AMC Performer of the Year after an incredible breakout season. Additionally, head coach Anna Luz was named as the conference's Coach of the Year for a second year in a row. 

This season, the V-Hawks are returning five All-Americans from last season as they head into the NAIA National Championship competition. 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION

The V-Hawks will be performing at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka, Kansas on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. On Friday, the competition begins at 7:00pm. The V-Hawks will compete fourth in the order. On Saturday, the competition begins at 2:30pm, and the order will be released based on their scores from the preliminary round. If you can't make it to Topeka, there is a free live stream available on the Urban Edge Network, or by clicking here.

Follow the V-Hawk Dance Team on Instagram (@viterbouniversitydanceteam) and following the V-Hawk page for the quickest updates (@viterbovhawks).