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   The University of Northern Iowa dance team, cheer squad and Panther mascot T.C. (The Cat), each brought home trophies from the four-day UCA/UDA College Spirit Camp held on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus this past weekend.

    For the first time in the squad's history, the UNI Dance Team earned a first-place overall finish in the performance categories of Home Routine and Fight Song.  The dance team also received a superior rating as a group for the overall performance throughout the camp weekend.  T.C. also excelled in the camp competition with a fourth-place overall finish in the mascot competition.  The Panther mascot beat out the University of Iowa mascot Herky, who finished in fifth place, while the University of Minnesota's Goldy Gopher won the first-place trophy.

     The UNI Cheer Squads were awarded with the Most Collegiate Award at this year's camp.  This award is given to the squad that shows the most school spirit, camaraderie and work ethic.  The co-ed squad received second place for their individual cheer performance and third place for their sideline routine.  The all-female squad was able to place fifth with its sideline performance.

    "The UNI Spirit Squads are a huge part of our athletic success," UNI Director of Athletics Rick Hartzell said.  "These students do a fabulous job of bringing excitement to our events.  They are loyal, hard working and true Panthers in every way."

    In recent years the UNI Dance Team and T.C. have had great success at national competition.  Last January, the UNI Dance Team earned fifth-place honors and T.C. brought home a top-10 finish at the UCA/UDA College National Championships.  The dance team finished 10th at the event in 2006 and the T.C. earned ninth place in 2004.

    "These squads are a very important part of this athletic department, they put in a lot of hours in practice, at events and at appearances.  They are truly the spirit of this program.  These young people are even more special because cheer, dance and T.C. do not have a coach.  They are able to succeed on the regional and national level because of the strong student leadership each person in this group possesses," UNI Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing and Promotions Nate Clayberg said.

    The UNI Dance Team graduated five members from last years fifth place team, and added seven new members to this year's squad that includes only one senior, the dance team includes: Lindsey Bishop (So., Marion, Iowa), Laura Dahm (Fr., Oregon, Ill.), Anna Fazio (Fr., Des Moines, Iowa),  Jessica Fuller (Jr., Marion, Iowa), Elizabeth Hackbarth (Sr., Marion, Iowa), Emily Hauser (Fr., Marion, Iowa), Leanne Hotek (Fr., Waterloo, Iowa), Amanda Miller (So., Sioux City, Iowa), Emily Miller (Fr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Trista Powers (Jr., Jefferson, Iowa), Casey Rickels (Jr., Anamosa, Iowa), Holli Rutherford (So., Grinnell, Iowa), Stephanie Simms (Jr., Des Moines, Iowa) and Sierra VanderHelm (Jr., Sioux Center, Iowa).

    This year's UNI Cheer Squad is led by a squad run Cheer Council with support and supervision of three AACCA safety trained advisors.  This co-ed purple squad includes: Sean Carey (Jr., Freeport, Ill.), Alex Edelman (So., Boone, Iowa), Amanda Freese (Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Jill McDermott (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Lindsey Rhodes (Fr., Mount Pleasant, Iowa), Elizabeth Schuetz (Jr., Dubuque, Iowa), Danielle Schulz (Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa), Owen Siebring, (Sr., Albion, Iowa), and Rachael Syverson (So., Polk City, Iowa).  The all-girl gold squad members include: Olivia Beames (So., Mount Pleasant, Iowa), Danielle Coulter (Fr., Reinbeck, Iowa), Teresa Davis (Fr., Grimes, Iowa), Amanda Kinney (So., Lemars, Iowa), Julie Kleinwort (So., Saint Ansgar, Iowa), Mikka McRoberts (So., Cedar Falls, Iowa), Fonda Muhlenbruch (Jr., Dows, Iowa), Kelsey Niles (So., Center Point, Iowa), Amanda Nylin (Fr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Morgan Phillips (Fr., Waukee, Iowa), Kayla Riegel (So., Newton, Iowa), Kelly Ryan (Fr., Dubuque, Iowa) and Amanda Whitlock (Fr., Indianola, Iowa).  It is squad policy to withhold the names of the three members of the mascot squad that handle T.C. for anonymity.

   The UCA/UDA camp at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is considered the largest of UCA/UDA's College Spirit Camps.  The Panther squads compete against many of the top spirit squads across the country, including Minnesota, Kentucky, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas.