Iowa’s dance team is a frequent sight at marquee events like football and basketball games, keeping the energy high for the Hawkeyes and their supporters. Entertaining up to nearly 70,000 rowdy fans at once, these athletes keep the momentum rolling through every snap, every play, and every score.

Even outside of these big-ticket contests, however, when Kinnick Stadium and Carver-Hawkeye Arena lie empty, this group of athletes continues to perform, 

making a name for themselves in the spotlight of a sport that many equate to the sidelines.

Coach Jenny Eustice, who has been with the program since 2009, noted that while sideline spirit is a major purpose of the dance team, the program also has its own national competition, broadcast every year online on Varsity TV. 

“The difference in level of technical ability and stamina and drive in order to do those routines is heads and tails above what people normally see on the sideline,” Eustice said. “While I appreciate and love when the Hawkeye fans are like, ‘Oh, you looked so great on game day,’ they might not get the chance to see what we do at the national level.”

The Hawkeyes have collected plenty of accolades on the national stage. The dance team finished third at the Universal Dance Association College National Championships and recorded 11 consecutive top-10 finishes. 

Eustice is no stranger to such success. She was an assistant coach of the four-time national title-winning dance team at the University of Minnesota, where she served as a dancer and captain during her college years. In addition to her accolades at the collegiate level, Eustice is also a former cheerleader for the Minnesota Vikings and a Minnesota Swarm Performance Team member. 

A lifelong fan of her home programs, Eustice splits  loyalty with Iowa, appreciating the sincerity of Hawkeye supporters. 

“I think the genuine love that the people of Iowa have for the Iowa Hawkeyes, the genuine love that the athletes have for the fans, I think that is very special,” Eustice said. “I do not think that you can find that in many places.”

As the team’s coach, Eustice works closely with the women representing Iowa’s program, such as senior  Katelyn Lookingbill.

A dancer since the age of 2, Lookingbill noted that in a sport like competitive dance, support within the team is crucial.

“The difference with dance, rather than other team sports, is that you try to be as in sync and in unison as possible,” Lookingbill said. “It’s not like you can just have a good quarterback and your team can be decent. You each have to carry the same amount of weight, and I think that really creates that family culture, and that’s something that sets our team apart.”

The senior also described how, in an era dominated by social media like TikTok and Instagram, many don’t realize the sophistication behind collegiate dancing. 

“Everyone sees us on the sidelines, shaking our poms, smiling, waving, starting cheers, but people don’t always realize how intense our nationals routines are, all the preparation that goes into that,” Lookingbill said. “We spend a lot of time supporting other Hawkeyes, but it’s really fun to be able to do something to support ourselves.”

Iowa’s program is one that receives part of its funding  from the institution it represents, while other programs like Penn State, following university-wide budget cuts, were forced to fundraise independently. For athletes on the team, this is a source of gratitude.

“We are fortunate that we do get a lot of help from the university and from the athletic department, unlike other teams across the country,” Lookingbill said.

The senior also referenced Penn State’s budget cuts, noting the pressure that was put on the program to pay their own way to Orlando, where the Nittany Lions received placements that included sixth in Division IA Pom and 12th in Division IA Jazz

“Penn State found out that they had gotten all their funding cut this year, so they actually had to fundraise the entirety of their nationals trip and competition fees themselves, which, luckily, they did reach that goal,” Lookingbill said. “We are very fortunate that we don’t really have to worry about that.”

In a correspondence to The Daily Iowan, Eustice confirmed that many essentials are financed by the team’s budget, while team fundraisers pave the way for much of the competition season.

“Our budget covers camp training costs, uniforms, team gear for the year, team meals, and other things that we need to fulfill our role in supporting Hawkeye athletics,” Eustice said. “We fundraise our way to nationals (travel, costumes, choreography, etc.) by hosting our summer intensives, various clinics throughout the year, and the Iowa Spirit Spectacular, a high school cheer and dance competition.”

After last season where Iowa failed to place, the Hawkeyes rebounded this year with a ninth-place finish in Division IA Pom at the UDA’s College Nationals in Orlando, Florida, back in January. Iowa competed against teams such as Penn State, Texas Tech, and eventual champion Minnesota.

“I would say it was a big accomplishment, and it was a good feeling for sure,” senior Mia Vekich said. “I think every time you come off of a season where you didn’t feel like it went the best, you always have a little bit of that extra fire fueling you.”

Vekich, who has been dancing since she was 3 years old, also expressed optimism for the future of the program after she moves on from Iowa.

“I think it will be a good stepping stone for the teams in the future, giving everyone a good basis of, ‘This is how hard we worked, and this is the result we got,’” Vekich said.

Lookingbill, who recently celebrated two decades of dancing, credited the team’s success this season to their ability to adapt.

“I think we did a really good job of focusing on ourselves and trusting our own process,” Lookingbill said. “Last year, we didn’t have the best year, placement-wise. I think what was in the back of our head this year was, ‘What can we do? How can we change our own process while still staying true to ourselves?’”

For her part, Eustice described the team’s collective demeanor as conducive to its success. The squad, which only graduated and added two people each from last season. Eustice believes the team accomplished its goals, primarily through an unselfish approach.