Shakers win national honors

Hours of hard work and practice paid off earlier this month for SIUC's Saluki Shakers dance team.
The 18-member squad finished in the top 10 of the Universal Dance Association College National 2005 cheerleading and dance team national championships at the Wide World of Sports in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The team finished eighth among 24 squads in the semifinals to reach the finals for the first time in school history. The Shakers followed that with an eighth-place finish in Hip Hop and ninth place showing in Dance competitions.

This was the Shakers' third trip to the nationals dating back to 2000.

The Saluki Shakers were one of 19 teams competing in Division I, which is based on school size. Sam Houston State University captured the Division I dance competition and the University of Delaware won the Hip Hop championship.

One of the squad's strengths is that in spite of its youth, the members are mature and cohesive, Coach Tawmi Conley said. There are only three seniors on this year's squad, comprised largely of freshmen and sophomores.

The squad sent in a video in November and qualified for the nationals. Judges considered the performance to be so good that the Shakers skipped preliminary competition and advanced directly to Saturday's semifinals.

Unlike some schools, SIUC doesn't pay for a choreographer for the routines, which Conley believes is an advantage.

"The girls want to do it on their own because it makes them that much better," she said. "I have a lot of talented choreographers on the team right now."

Another difference is that many competing teams form squads specifically for the national competition and do not dance at games or parades. The Shakers average about 13 hours a week of practice and work on routines every day but Wednesdays. The squad learns a new routine each week and performs different routines for each football and basketball game, along with performing with the Marching Salukis.

The 2004-2005 Saluki Shakers, their year in school and major, are:

• Akira Wright, Calumet City, junior, health education.
• Katie Kallberg, Cary, freshman, pre-major.
• Lauren Tolliver, Du Quoin, senior, speech communication.
• Karissa Wolfe, Du Quoin, sophomore, marketing, captain.
• Jenny Grigg, Effingham, junior, special education, captain.
• Allison Meyer, Elgin, freshman, biological sciences.
• Pammie Vilches, Elmhurst, freshman, pre-major.
• Erin O'Brien, Herrin, sophomore, elementary education.
• Rani Walker, Marion, sophomore, workforce education.
• Kari Nichols, Murphysboro, freshman, elementary education.
• Kirsten Propst, Murphysboro, senior, psychology, captain.
• Katie Hohnsbehn, O'Fallon, senior, early childhoold, captain.
• Meghan Levins, Quincy, sophomore, architectural studies.
• Kayla McCabe, Quincy, freshman, undecided.
• Laura Yergler, Springfield, freshman, undecided.
• Megan Gouge, Swansea, sophomore, mathematics.
• Jessica Mitchell, Villa Park, junior, radio-television.
• Melissa Butler, Washington, freshman, cinema and photography.