Ohio Women 2019 Edition
Alumni & Friends Magazine
Stepping Up
Ohio University’s Dance Team, in their first year of competition, claimed the title of University World Cup Open Division Champions at the 2019 UCA and UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships in Florida.
By Julie Ciotola, BSJ ’20 | November 14, 2019
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Behind the dance team’s physical skill and precise choreography lies much more—a steadfast commitment to leadership, learning, and one another.
“I would say the people on the team are my closest friends. We spend almost every single day together, especially since we started competing,” senior captain Rachael Roenfeldt says.
Classified as a student organization, rather than as an athletic team, these female Bobcats are responsible for every aspect of team management and preparation, from choreography and scheduling to recruitment and fundraising.
“It’s helped me mature as a person,” junior captain Aimee Gjurkovitsch says. “I’ve learned how to put a team together and make everything work. It’s been a huge learning experience.”
Despite the challenge of meeting these demands, while maintaining a team-wide 3.5 GPA, Roenfeldt says the students welcome the opportunity to develop valuable lifelong skills.
“There has been a lot of different leadership styles on the team. I kind of know how people react to each one, and how I want to be as a leader,” she says. “I think that’s helped me grow. … It puts life in perspective. You have to work for what you want.”
Feature photograph: The OHIO Dance Team performs multiple routines at the 2019 President’s Convocation for First Year Students. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ ’14, MA ’17
