Gophers dynasty preps for defending title at "Super Bowl of dance"
The UDA College Nationals, dubbed "the Super Bowl of dance," is this weekend in Orlando. And for the second year in a row, WCCO has exclusive coverage of the competition, which features several Minnesota teams.
With 23 national titles, the University of Minnesota has the state's most decorated team. The Gophers dance dynasty is hard at work, fine tuning every move of their 2026 Pom routine.
Like any elite sports team, the Gophers study film and fix anything that brings them closer to perfection. It's how they reach their goal of earning their fourth Pom national championship in a row.
The team showcased all their hard work in front of more than 8,000 people at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on Sunday night ahead of competing on the national stage.
There are five seniors this season leaving it all on the floor one last time. Two of them are leaving quite a mark on this program.
Matthew Greco is the first male dancer to ever join this roster. The New Jersey native had his sights set on the Gophers at an early age.
"I feel like I was the one to really break the barrier and be a trailblazer for younger men, younger generations of male dancers," Greco said.
While he stuns audiences with high-level stunts and precise turns, his purpose on this team goes much deeper than that.
"When I came to a clinic, there was no other male dancers. And now being a senior and like opening up that door, there's been like from 10 to 15 to 20 male dancers that have shown up to our clinics," he said. "So yeah, it definitely has shaped like the future of this team and what it could look like."
Maggie Fandel's story is one of persistence after not making the team her first go at recruitment.
"I felt like my journey wasn't done yet, so I quickly decided that I wasn't done training. Dance was still such a huge part of who I was," Fandel said.
She got her name on the roster her sophomore year, but as an alternate. She kept pushing herself and eventually earned her spot on the nationals floor, proving that the first "no" you hear is not the end.
"It means so much to me. Sorry, I get emotional every time just thinking about my journey on this team because it has taken a lot of self motivation," she said. "But just being here, like I actually pinch myself every single day. And so it just makes me so grateful for this experience."
This week on the WoMN in Sports podcast, WCCO's Marielle Mohs sits down with Gopher dance head coach Amanda Gaines, who talks in depth about the growth of this sport over the years, which she has seen first hand as a former Gophers dancer more than 20 years ago.
Hear her full conversation this Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on YouTube.