Struss, Sharp and Terwey Earn All-American Honors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The 2024 NAIA Competitive Dance All-Americans have been announced by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) after the conclusion of the 8th Annual Nfinity NAIA National Championship. Josie Kaffenberger of St. Ambrose (Iowa) posted the top score in the try-out process and claims Dancer of the Year honors.
The All-America teams are determined by the national championship judges and they are graded on a scale where 16+ places someone on the First Team, 14.5-15.99 on the Second Team, and 12.0-14.49 on the Third Team. Student-Athletes are recorded doing four elements: range leaps, triple pirouette, two 8-count turns, and dance choreography. They are graded on a scale of 1-5 ranging from poor form and technique to superior form and technique.
The NAIA National Champions from St. Ambrose (Iowa) placed 10 student-athletes on the First Team while Runners-Up Midland (Neb.) had five; St. Francis (Ill.) mirrored Midland with five on the first team as well. Overall, the Bees had 12 student-athletes recognized, the Fighting Saints 10, and the Viterbo (Wis.) V-Hawks eight across all three teams.
Bryce Clausen of Graceland (Iowa) and Abi Peiffer of Grand View (Iowa) are the only two repeat winners.
2023-24 NAIA Competitive Dance All-America Teams (Alphabetical order by institution)
FIRST TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN |
| Nahla Zaun | Ave Maria (Fla.) | Fr. | Lees Summit, Mo. |
| Paige Rolf | Benedictine (Kan.) | Jr. | West Point, Neb. |
| Kelsey Brady | Doane (Neb.) | Sr. | Malcolm, Neb. |
| McKenna Wiley^ | Doane (Neb.) | So. | Lincoln, Neb. |
| Cadence Sires | Graceland (Iowa) | Fr. | Johnston, Iowa |
| Velia Castillo | Graceland (Iowa) | Fr. | Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Bryce Clausen*# | Graceland (Iowa) | Jr. | Libson, Iowa |
| Jenna Davenport | Grand View (Iowa) | So. | Grinnell, Iowa |
| Jayda Roethler^ | Grand View (Iowa) | Sr. | Algona, Iowa |
| Abi Peiffer^# | Grand View (Iowa) | Sr. | Ankeny, Iowa |
| Emily Struss* | Hastings (Neb.) | Sr. | Hastings, Neb. |
| Adrianna Krueger | Midland (Neb.) | Sr. | Omaha, Neb. |
| Chloe Reiter | Midland (Neb.) | Fr. | Columbus, Neb. |
| Caitlin Gardner | Midland (Neb.) | Sr. | Overland Park, Kan. |
| Hannah Walker^ | Midland (Neb.) | Jr. | Rapid City, S.D. |
| Jocelyn Law | Midland (Neb.) | Fr. | Council Bluffs, Iowa |
| Kiersten Brown | Missouri Baptist | Jr. | De Soto, Mo. |
| Ally Setser | Oklahoma City | Sr. | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Makayla Messaris* | Oklahoma City | So. | Spring Hill, Fla. |
| Damarion Thomas | Point Park (Pa.) | Fr. | Stockbridge, Ga. |
| Olivia Fortress | Siena Heights (Mich.) | Sr. | Hazel Park, Mich. |
| Ellie Schilling^ | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Sr. | Coralville, Iowa |
| Alexandra Olson* | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Gr. | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| Annika Foit | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Fr. | Eldridge, Iowa |
| Leah Zeimet* | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Jr. | Davenport, Iowa |
| Madelynn Barnes | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | So. | Davenport, Iowa |
| Sydnie Offermann* | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | So. | Dyersville, Iowa |
| Rosalie Manikham | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Sr. | Oak Creek, Wis. |
| Sara Gundacker* | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | So. | Robins, Iowa |
| Alexis Crook | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Jr. | Bondurant, Iowa |
| Josie Kaffenberger | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Fr. | Bettendorft, Iowa |
| Marianne Gerona | St. Francis (Ill.) | Fr. | Crown Point, Ind. |
| Stephanie Behland | St. Francis (Ill.) | Sr. | Homer Glen, Ill. |
| Emma Schuetz | St. Francis (Ill.) | Fr. | Tinley Park, Ill. |
| Alexandra Whittenhall* | St. Francis (Ill.) | Sr. | Romeoville, Ill. |
| Kristen Myers* | St. Francis (Ill.) | Jr. | Romeoville, Ill. |
| Naya Coppens | Viterbo (Wis.) | Fr. | Green Bay, Wis. |
| Madelyn Dibble^ | Viterbo (Wis.) | Sr. | Cannon Falls, Minn. |
SECOND TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN |
| Emma Daling | Aquinas (Mich.) | Jr. | Allendale, Mich. |
| Maria Applegate | Ave Maria (Fla.) | So. | Mount Airy, Md. |
| Camryn Olive | Ave Maria (Fla.) | Jr. | Estero, Fla. |
| Katelyn Knaussman | Baker (Kan.) | Jr. | Shawnee, Kan. |
| Hanna Bitner | Concordia (Neb.) | Fr. | Valentine, Neb. |
| Ryleigh Flesner^ | Concordia (Neb.) | So. | Greeley, Colo. |
| Lindsey Koshowsky | Concordia (Mich.) | Sr. | Canton, Mich. |
| Samantha Knapp | Doane (Neb.) | Jr. | Elm Creek, Neb. |
| Rosalyn Roggasch | Doane (Neb.) | So. | Kearney, Neb. |
| Macie Sefrit | Doane (Neb.) | Jr. | New Market, Iowa |
| Alexis Kuecker | Grand View (Iowa) | Sr. | Prairie City, Iowa |
| Rayna Sickels | Grand View (Iowa) | Jr. | Indianola, Iowa |
| Delaney Baird | Grand View (Iowa) | So. | Monroe, Iowa |
| Sydney Divoky | Grand View (Iowa) | Fr. | Solon, Iowa |
| Abbey Mortland^ | Missouri Baptist | Jr. | Highland, Ill. |
| Amanda Postlethwait | Missouri Valley | Sr. | Grain Valley, Mo. |
| Kelsey Adams | Mount Mercy (Iowa) | Jr. | Monticello, Iowa |
| Claire Jones | Mount Mercy (Iowa) | Jr. | New London, Iowa |
| Payton Wolff* | Oklahoma City | Jr. | Sugar Land, Texas |
| Cassidy Moore | Point Park (Pa.) | So. | Highland Lakes, N.Y. |
| Kaya Robinson | Siena Heights (Mich.) | So. | Sterling Heights, Mich. |
| Briana Ilg | Siena Heights (Mich.) | Fr. | Saint Joseph, Mich. |
| Rafe Jacobs | Siena Heights (Mich.) | Sr. | Owosso, Mich. |
| Shea Denahy | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Fr. | DeWitt, Iowa |
| Halie Foster | St. Francis (Ill.) | So. | Carbon Hill, Ill. |
| Erin Walters* | Viterbo (Wis.) | So. | Houston, Minn. |
| Kloey Sanderson | Viterbo (Wis.) | Fr. | Lake City, Minn. |
THIRD TEAM
| NAME | INSTITUTION | CLASS | HOMETOWN |
| Wrenn Paden | Baker (Kan.) | Jr. | Lawrence, Kan. |
| Taylor Larsen | Concordia (Neb.) | So. | Ravenna, Neb. |
| Alyssa Salinas | Doane (Neb.) | Fr. | Papillion, Neb. |
| Carleigh O'Dell | Graceland (Iowa) | Jr. | Leon, Iowa |
| Alexis Van Utrecht | Grand View (Iowa) | So. | Mew Sharon, Iowa |
| Josi Sharp | Hastings (Neb.) | Fr. | Bladen, Neb. |
| Olivia Terwey | Hastings (Neb.) | Fr. | Hastings, Neb. |
| Callie Stephens | Morningside (Iowa) | Sr. | Council Bluffs, Iowa |
| Grace Sheldon | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Jr. | Milan, Ill. |
| Alyssa Hoffman | St. Francis (Ill.) | Fr. | Shorewood, Ill. |
| Aleksandria Potoczny | St. Francis (Ill.) | So. | Hickory Hills, Ill. |
| Kylie Severson | St. Francis (Ill.) | Sr. | Minooka, Ill. |
| Brianna Hoffman | St. Francis (Ill.) | Jr. | Shorewood, Ill. |
| Vanessa Wong | Viterbo (Wis.) | Jr. | Buffalo, Minn. |
| Megan Sobotta | Viterbo (Wis.) | So. | Eau Claire, Wis. |
| Gabriella Elster | Viterbo (Wis.) | So. | Prior Lake, Minn. |
| Julia Steinfeldt | Viterbo (Wis.) | Fr. | Winona, Minn. |
| Natalie Redlinger | William Penn (Iowa) | Jr. | Sigourney, Iowa |
Previous All-America Key
- * 2023 1st Team
- ^ 2023 2nd Team
- # 2022 All-American
