News Post
Red Steppers Win National Championship in Game Day
The St. Joseph’s Academy Red Steppers are national champions in Game Day for the second year in a row, bringing home top honors from the 2025 National Dance Team Championship, held January 31-February 2 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The competition is administered by Universal Dance Association and is the only national-level dance team championship endorsed by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
In addition to their first-place finish in the Large Varsity Division II Game Day, the Red Steppers captured the bronze medal in Hip Hop and finished fifth in Jazz.
“There are no words to truly describe how proud I am of this team,” said coach Jade McCune. “They have worked so hard this year and truly left it all on the floor. To watch the growth of each individual as a dancer and as a person has been so rewarding. Even more rewarding is to see the bond they have formed as a team. They trust each other. They push each other. They support each other. They love each other. What more could a coach ask for? Yes, I’m so proud of their placements, but more than that, I’m proud of their journey. I love these girls so much! What a wonderful season!”
McCune said it was especially gratifying to bring home the top prize in the Game Day competition. “Winning Game Day gives us the most pride because we really do it for SJA,” McCune said. “We always talk about what we love about SJA before we go on the floor and say we are doing this for our school. To bring back another championship for our school is a special accomplishment.”
Senior Laney LeBoeuf said that the national championship was particularly rewarding because the team overcame a number of challenges over the course of the year. Especially devastating was losing invaluable practice time when school was closed for a week by unprecedented winter weather. “This team did the impossible and really pulled through in working extra hard the few days we had before we left,” she said. “This team has changed my life, and I couldn't be prouder to be leaving it not only as a national champion, but as part of a team that stepped outside their comfort zone and changed the game.”
Senior Alysse Fee said the dancers' pre-Game Day ritual is meaningful. “We all share one thing we love about SJA,” she said. “The answers vary from specific teachers, admin, certain clubs or just the community and involvement of the school. Then, we go on to perform on that big stage looking at all the people who love us the most in the audience. It is truly surreal and brings me to tears because of the beaming pride I have while dancing. UDA is a crazy game, so anything could have happened with placement. We have worked so hard for this, and I am so happy of the outcome, even though we already won with our finals performance in our hearts.”
Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director