Warriors Capture Red Banner, Third in Program History

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Midland University joined other schools in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for the NAIA Competitive Dance Championship this weekend. The Warriors, who were marking its ninth appearance at the national championship, took the floor at the George Gervin GameAbove Center, competing against a dozen teams. In the end, Midland captured the 2025 NAIA National Championship—the third in program history.

In the preliminary round, Midland delivered a show-stopping performance, earning an impressive score of 92.43—the third-highest in NAIA championship history. Their outstanding effort secured them first place heading into the final day of competition.

Reflecting on the team's performance after day one, head coach Erin Sibbald said, "The inspiration was the Kill Bill theme—something to drive motivation and push the team to go all out. The motto and the attack were: 'Give everything you've got.' That was the vibe. You are given two minutes to give everything—what are you going to do with that? This is a really great group, and they definitely attacked it. We're excited to be back tomorrow."

Midland continued its dominance in the finals, delivering a passionate and emotional performance, leaving everything on the floor. Following another remarkable routine on day two, Sibbald remarked, "Coming into today, it was all about reminding them to trust everything that has happened this season—our highs and our lows. It's not ours yet, but it feels really good to be this close, and I think that gave them a little more confidence. They brought it.

"One of our goals every season is to not lose the artistry in what dance is. In a performance sport, it's easy to clean the style out of dance and go into cookie-cutter mode, but this group was really passionate about bringing something different that showcases all of their strengths."

After the final scores were announced, Sibbald reflected on the team's journey. "I am just so proud of them. There has never been a group more deserving, and I am just so proud of them. This year, we really focused on playing to our specific strengths as a team and what we do differently. I think that brought a lot more joy into our practice space—not trying to become another team or another cookie-cutter program, but being truly who we are.

"We've had quite a season. We had a massive power outage just a week before coming here. My three seniors are absolutely incredible—they have been through so much and have led this group. I had seven dancers on the national floor who were competing for a national championship for the first time, and they were just better than I could have ever imagined. So much joy and love for this team."

With an overall score of 92.24, the Warriors secured their third NAIA national title, posting the fourth-highest score in NAIA history and claiming the coveted red banner.