Baker Cheer and Dance Earn Third-Place Finishes at 2026 Heart Championships

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Baker cheer and dance teams each came away with third-place finishes as the Wildcats competed against the rest of the league at the 2026 Heart of America Conference Cheer and Dance Championships on Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.

The BU cheer team marked its highest finish ever at the conference championships, taking third place after totaling an overall score of 90.45. The Wildcats finished less than 0.2 points behind runner-up Grand View (90.62), while Missouri Valley claimed the Heart title with a top score of 92.92.

Posting the first of back-to-back 90-plus scores, BU earned a tally of 91.57 in the preliminary round, a mere .06 points back from GVU and MVC, who tied with matching scores of 91.63 in their first performances of the day.

Baker surpassed its 2024 showing at the conference meet, when the team placed fourth in head coach Melissa Shipman's second year at the helm.

The Wildcats dance team also came in third after finishing with an overall score of 90.18. They earned an 89.46 to sit in second after the prelims and actually marked a higher score in the finals at 90.42, but Mount Mercy (90.40) received a 91 to overtake BU for second place by less than half a point.

Grand View (95.95) topped the eight-team field in the dance standings to secure its third straight conference championship.

Overall, the Wildcats totaled 10 all-conference honorees between the two squads with six dancers and four cheerleaders receiving postseason recognition.

Freshman dancer Jersey Glover was named to the All-Heart First Team, while Sarah Blanck and Gracie Quint were second-team selections. Kadee Ellis, Zion Jones and Linda Shine earned honorable mention honors.

Jaiden Fisher, Alaina Lorfing and Abby Patz all landed on the All-Heart First Team and senior Emily Hansen received an honorable mention nod for the Baker cheer team.

The two Baker squads will now turn their attention to the postseason as the Wildcats help play host, along with Visit Topeka, to the 2026 NAIA Cheer and Dance National Championships on March 27-28 at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka, Kan.

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