ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV’s competitive dance team claimed a resounding victory at its first competition of the 2025 season, outpacing its nearest rival by nearly 10 points at the Falcon Invite in Wichita, Kansas, on Jan. 18.
ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV scored 86.03 points to take the title, with Baker University (76.30) and University of Saint Mary (72.17) claiming second and third place, respectively, out of eight teams competing.
Coach Tasha Hinex said that early-season competitions are difficult, but she is “extremely proud of what we put out on the floor. I’m looking forward to tweaking any issues that we have and building from there.â€
This was dance’s first competition since claiming the National Dance Association national championship last April in Daytona Beach, Florida. The squad will take the competition floor next on Feb. 1 at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Basketball bounces up and down
After a strong start to the season that saw the Stars men’s basketball team defeat two teams ranked in the NAIA top five, ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV has battled injuries recently, losing three in a row and seven of its past nine. The Stars (10-10 overall, 6-10 SAC) will look to return to the early-season form that saw them defeat No. 5 Oklahoma Wesleyan University and No. 1 Langston University when they take on Mid-America Christian University on Jan. 25.
On the women’s side, ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV (8-12 overall, 8-8 SAC) has won three out of the past four and has been paced by Amaya Gordon, a graduate student who leads ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV in scoring with 16.5 points per game. Gordon surpassed 1,000 points in her three-year ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV career following a 21-point effort in a win against UNT-Dallas on Jan. 18. Next up for the Stars is a trip to Mid-American Christian University on Jan. 25.
Cold (weather) start for baseball
ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV’s baseball team will begin its season with a double-header at home on Jan. 25. The Stars will take on Friends University at noon and 3 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium. High temperatures in the 50-degree range are expected for gameday.
Wrestling trending up
Both ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV’s men’s and women’s wresting streak are on winning streaks. The women have won three consecutive duals, and five out seven, to sit 5-3 (1-0 SAC) on the season. They are in action next on Feb. 1 at the Grandview Open in Des Moines, Iowa. The men’s wresting team has won two in a row after starting the season 0-9. They’ll take the mat next at the Missouri Valley Invite, Jan. 24-25 in Marshall, Missouri.