The Minnewaska Area Jazz dance team earned a return trip to state after placing second at the Section 4A Dance Tournament at Wadena-DC High School, last Saturday.

The Lakers are set to compete at the State Class A Jazz Meet, Friday, Feb. 17 at Target Stadium in Minneapolis.  The State High Kick Tourney is set for the next day at the same location.

Tana Ziesmer is the coach of the Minnewaska Area dance teams and among her assistants are Mollee Duffeld and Morgan Blair.

There will be 12 teams competing in the Class A Jazz state competition.

Crosby won the Jazz and High Kick categories at the Section 4A Meet.  Last year, the Lakers earned first in Jazz and third in High Kick at the section meet before the Jazz team went on to place seventh at state and the High Kick team was 10th.

Crosby won the section Jazz category with five points, while Minnewaska Area was second with 14, followed by Hawley (15), Frazee (15), DGF (25), Crookston (31.5), Bagley (34.5), Aitkin (37), WDC (43) and Mahnomen 50).

In the High Kick category, Crosby won the title with five points again, followed by Hawley (12), Bagley (14), Minnewaska (18), Frazee (24), Crookston (31), Aitkin (32), DGF (41), WDC (42) and Mahnomen (50).  One of the judges ranked Minnewaska Area sixth and Bagley third.  That was just enough to knock the Lakers from third to fourth.

The top three teams from among the 10 Section 4A teams earned state berths in each discipline.

Members of this year’s varsity dance team are senior Olivia Edmunds; juniors Kia Matt, Cacee Danielson, Anna Uecker, Makenna Swalla, Teagan Stark, Christina Juarez, Jada Leonard, Daisy Lin, and Brianna Erickson; sophomores Alannah Christensen, Autumn Hess, Mataya Mix, Katie Sorenson, Avarie Uhde, Makenna Uhde and Katy Vold; ninth-graders Lexi Jenson, Lyla Stadtherr and Mesa Kittelson; eighth-grader Tyla Ziesmer and seventh-grader Aubrey Suckstorff.

Check out more photos in our photo gallery!