Photo by Amy Beth Bennett

Dance team takes relaxed approach to title

Not only is the 49er dance team the defending national champions, they are currently ranked No. 1 by the Universal Dance Association.

The team will be competing in the upcoming National College Cheerleading and Dance Team Championships in Florida.

The event will be held Jan. 9 to 14 in Orlando, and can be seen on ESPN, and on ESPN2 some time in March.

Despite their No. 1 ranking, the team has decided on taking a more relaxed approach to the national title this time around.

Kelly Krauss, a second-year co-captain, said the team has a great shot at repeating as champions.

She added that the team should enjoy the travel time in Florida as well as the event itself, instead of spending their time worrying about repeating as champs.

"We're looking at it not so much as a competition, but as more of an exhibition," Krauss said. "We've already won the championship once, and although most of us would like to do it again, we don't want to have the pressure of going for a repeat. So we're trying to tell ourselves that this is just for fun."

While the 49ers co-captain may say the team is treating this tournament as an exhibition, it appears they still have every intention of defending their title.

"We don't say it very loudly, but yes, we definitely want to win," Krauss said.

The University of Memphis, which had won the title nine different years, was expected to pose the greatest threat to CSULB's chances for a repeat this year.

Memphis, at last year's finals, declined to show up for the awards ceremony after finishing second.

The Tigers, wearing T-Shirts that had "Second to None" printed across the front throughout the event, refused to accept their trophy.

After last year's showing, however, the Tigers have decided not to return.

Instead, Memphis has entered itself in a different tournament, a tournament that Krauss said usually only attracts the smaller schools and is somewhat "less competitive."

With the Tigers gone, the 49ers' main competition is expected to come from either the University of Louisville, or the University of Missouri.

While Missouri is not ranked in the top five, Krauss said they could be tough come tournament time seeing how they have performed well all year.

But it's Louisville that is now expected to give CSULB the most competition this year. The Cardinals won the title two years ago and appear very eager to claim another.

They are seeded in the top five and should definitely still be in the hunt come the end of the competition.

The top-ranked 49er dance team has already delighted crowds with deafening and dazzling performances of its tournament routine during halftime at some CSULB's men's basketball games.