Photo Credit: AHA Starliners Instagram
The Starliners Dance Team recently earned their third consecutive Tri-Metro Conference Championship. Mary Taraboi-Brown ‘23, Ashley Fisher ‘24, Jenna Lang ‘24, and Daniella Ochoa Estrada ‘24 were recognized as All-Conference athletes. Additionally, Grace Berg ‘25 and Ruby Cleary ‘25 received honorable mentions. Fisher and Ochoa Estrada were also named to the Class AA High Kick All-State Team.
The girls had a very successful season outside of the conference. At the Totino Grace Invite, varsity high kick scored the highest score the team had seen in the past four years, which was an especially big feat considering their competition. Other schools’ dance teams had up to twenty-six people, while the Starliners varsity consisted of only six members. Despite their small numbers, they were still able to score big and placed 4th out of thirteen teams at this event. Another memorable moment for this team was the Catholic Jamboree in St. Cloud, which was the team’s first overnight trip in four years, creating an opportunity for team bonding and chemistry. The Catholic Jamboree is a competition between all Catholic schools in Minnesota where all proceeds go to charity. On the second day of this trip, the team was provided with an opportunity to participate in a joint practice with the Cathedral dance team, who had won state in both categories for the past two years.
The Starliners remained active in the AHA community by performing at halftime for a boys’ basketball game, as well as making an appearance at the Sno-Daze pepfest for the student body. The Starliners advanced to sections, preparing for categories such as High Kick and Jazz. As the season came to a close, the team finished 6th in Jazz and 5th in High Kick in Section 2AA. The team was recognized for a Team Academic Award, and Taraboi-Brown received an individual senior academic award from MADT (Minnesota Association of Dance Teams).
As Fisher looked back at the season, she said, “We did two of the most difficult dances I have ever done and scored higher than I have ever scored; we accomplished things I never thought we would be able to do and I truly believe this was our best season yet!” Congratulations to this team for prevailing in athletics and academics alike this year. As one of the smallest teams in Starliners history, they were able to achieve great things and raise the standards for the future!
