The NDSU Ballroom Dance Club sent nine couples to the Star of the North dance competition in Minneapolis Feb. 25-26. Competitors came from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas. The competition was one of the largest in the country for college competitors, with schools ranging from Big 10 schools Northwestern University and the University of Iowa, to small private schools such as Luther College and Carleton. The college team match had 18 teams. Eleven teams went on to the second round; NDSU did not qualify.
However, NDSU dancers were successful in the competition between individual couples, especially at the newcomer level. Proficiency levels range from newcomer to bronze, silver and gold level. NDSU had three different first place finishers in different events, each with at least 60 couples entered. Top finishers are listed below:
Newcomer
- Waltz: 1st place – Ethan Rodgers/Rebecca Kotchian, 3rd –Quang Phan/Sammie Nguyen
- Tango: 1st place – Jesse Kipp/Micaela Koster, 2nd – Rodgers/Kotchian, 6th – Michael Erickson/Meredith Irsfeld; semifinal – Nathan Szurek/Carly Trowbridge
- Foxtrot: 1st place – Phan/Nguyen, 2nd – Rodgers/Kotchian, 6th – Erickson/Irsfeld; quarterfinal – Brendan O’Gorman/Sarah Schock, Kipp/Koster
- Swing: Semifinal – Rodgers/Kotchian, Dan Adamietz/Megan Meyer; quarterfinal – Kipp/Koster
- Rumba: Semifinal – Erickson/Irsfeld; quarterfinal – Kipp/Koster
Beginning Bronze
- Rumba: 5th place – Phan/Nguyen; quarterfinal Shane Gores/Kelsey Forward
- Swing: 5th place – Gores/Forward, 7th – Phan/Nguyen
- Waltz: 5th place – Gores/Forward, 8th Rodgers/Kotchian; semifinal –Phan/Nguyen, Adamietz/Meyer
- Foxtrot: 4th place – Gores/Forward; semifinal – Phan/Nguyen, Adamietz/Meyer, Rodgers/Kotchian; quarterfinal – O’Gorman/Schock
- Tango: semifinal – Gores/Forward, Kipp/Koster, Adamietz/Meyer, Rodgers/Kotchian; quarterfinal – O’Gorman/Schock
Full Bronze
- Swing: 6th place – Gores/Forward, 8th – Phan/Nguyen
- Rumba: 6th place – Phan/Nguyen; quarterfinal – Gores/Forward
- Waltz: semifinal – Gores/Forward, Adamietz/Meyer
- Foxtrot: 8th place – Gores/Forward; semifinal – Adamietz/Meyer