Sensations open season on road
The Canby/Minneota dance team had just three days of practice before competing on Thursday in Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Invitational in Brooten, yet the Sensations finished third in Kick and fifth in Jazz.
On Saturday, in the BOLD Invitational in Olivia, the Sensations' Kick team placed fifth and the Jazz team 10th.
Shauna Vernlund is in her second year as head coach and was an assistant coach from 2015-17. She is assisted by Avery Lokken and Jenna Borstad.
"We had only one day of practice before the BOLD meet and still got ranked right under the big teams in our section that usually advance to state, which is fun to see," said Vernlund.
This year's team has only three seniors among the 17 in Jazz and/or Kick, but Vernlund is pleased with the overall mix of youth and experience.
"I feel very confident in this year's team," she said. "I have 17 amazing and strong dancers who are determined to reach their goals this season. My returning dancers are always a big help. They are always making sure everyone is caught up and not falling behind. With 10 rookie dancers and seven new varsity dancers, this will have to be the biggest group of rookies I have seen on the varsity level."
2021-22 roster
(C - Students at Canby High School, M - students at Minneota High School).
Seniors - Natalie Bach (C), Krystal Eischens (C), Lauren Olson (C)
Juniors - Kaitlyn Ludwikowski(M), Lili Opdahl (C), Emma Vernlund (C), Paige Viessman (C).
Sophomores - Trinity Kirschbaum (M), Kylie Sterzinger (M), Samara Sumerfelt (M), Isabel Thompson (C).
Freshmen - Elizabeth DeCock (M), Hannah Fadness (M), Katie Munter (C).
8th Grade - Tana Gillund (M), Alyssa Hoffman (C), Abby Zitsmann (C).
Varsity season schedule:
Jan. 7 - at Dawson
Jan. 14 - at Montevideo
Jan. 17 - at MACCRAY
Jan. 22 - at Yellow Medicine East
Jan. 28 - Camden Conference at Canby
Jan. 31 - at Yellow Medicine East
Feb. 4 - at Lakeview
Feb. 12 - Sections at Montevideo
Varsity halftime performances
Jan. 3 - at Canby
Jan. 11 - at Minneota
Jan. 24 - at Minneota