SUNDANCERS IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Southeast Missouri State University Sundancer team has earned another bid to the National Dance Team Championships in April.

Last year, the team finished seventh in the nation.

The squad finished second in the Division I competition at the NCA dance team regional camp on the Southern Methodist University campus in August. The finish earned the team another bid to the championships.

"To earn back-to-back nationals bids is very exciting," said Sundancer coach Suzanne Vaughan. "We have improved and were definitely one of the top three Division I teams at the regional."

"We practiced throughout the summer and hoped the hard work would be noticed," said co-captain Kim Rambicourt. "The team really pushed to show our best performance. I think the judges really liked our style."

This year's dance championships will be held in Daytona Beach, Fla. The competition will be videotaped and shown on the CBS and USA television networks in late April.

Co-captain Leslie Church said: "Our goal is to improve on last year's seventh place ranking. I think we can do it."

In addition to its regular performances, this year's Sundancer team is celebrating the squad's 25-year anniversary on the Southeast campus.

The Sundancers must also focus on fund raising. "Our budget does not include funding for Nationals. We need to raise at least $8,000 to make sure we get to the competition," Church said. "Our fund-raising efforts will include poster sales, hosting dance clinics, working for Sodexho catering and other projects."

Vaughan said: "Most People are unaware of how hard the Sundancers work and practice for their performances and competitions. We love to dance and show people why Southeast is one of the best teams in the nation. The compliments we receive from students, boosters and people throughout the region make it all worth it."