BU Dance Takes Second, Cheer Fourth as Hosts of 2026 Baker Classic

BALDWIN CITY - As the first of their two home regular-season competitions this year, the Baker cheer and dance teams hosted the 2026 Baker Classic on Saturday inside the Collins Center, where the Wildcats earned a pair of top-four finishes.

With a total of nine teams competing in the cheer competition and seven on the dance side, Baker dance recorded a score of 86.21 to place second, narrowly missing out on first-place Oklahoma City (86.45) by less than half a point.

Saturday's performance marked the Wildcats' third runner-up finish of the season after taking second at both the Falcon Invite and the Coyote Classic to start the 2026 campaign.

Baker cheer came in fourth on a score of 81.93, finishing ahead of conference schools William Penn (81.47), MidAmerica Nazarene (78.30), and Park (72.18). It was BU's second score of 80 or higher of the weekend after coming out on top of the Pioneers' MNU Invitational on Friday night in Olathe, Kan., with a slightly better mark at 82.75.

Along with their hosting duties, both Baker teams celebrated their Senior Day and recognized a total of eight seniors between the two squads for their contributions to the BU cheer and dance programs. The cheer seniors included, Apple Barahona-Negrete, Megan Boettcher, Ryanne Hamm, Emily Hansen, Madi Humphrey and Graci Nobo. The dance team honored senior Linda Shine, while junior Gracie Quint, who is moving on to the Baker nursing program, was also recognized.

Up next, both squads will turn around and host a second straight home competition with the newly-established Baker Battle, which will take place on Wednesday, March 4, in the Collins Center.

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