MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The St. Catherine University Wildcat dancers took first place in their regional competition hosted at the Minneapolis Convention Center this past Sunday. The squad of five also earned a Judge's Choice Award at the competition for their choreography. The Judge's Choice Award is given to only two team in the entire competition for the highest score in each category. 

The Americup Regional Competition hosted by Dance Extreme and included collegiate teams from all three NCAA Divisions, plus high school and independent dance studios. The Wildcat dancers performed in college pom event finishing in first place overall in the poms competition. St. Catherine had an overall score of 258.8 out of 290 to top the next team, Winona State University, by one tenth of a point. The Division II Warrors finished 2nd with a score of 258.7 while Division I, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay took third with a score of 243.9. 

In the overall competition, the Wildcats' placed second behind the University of Wisconsin-Madison Elite Hip Hop team and ahead of Winona State University. The team comprised of all first-year student-athetles earned the programs first ever championship title and Judge's Choice Award for their performance and choreography. The Wildcat rookies dances were choreographed by Monique Young-Dutton.