Today@Sam Article
Orange Pride Dance Team Makes A Statement In New Division With A Title Win
April 30, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Emilee White
It’s harder to stay on top than it is to get there.
That’s what Sam Houston State University’s Orange Pride Dance team coach Sarah Garcia told her squad going into finals at the 2024 National Championship. Already in first place by the end of the preliminary rounds, Orange Pride had exceeded their own expectations. While their uphill battle was far from over, Garcia had no doubt the team could overcome any challenge they faced.
Previously in Division I, Orange Pride competed against other universities that were similar in size. Now in D1-A, Garcia described the feeling as being a little fish in a big pond. But when her team stepped out on the dance floor in the final round, she watched them come to life and knew deep in her heart, they did exactly what they needed to do.
“We just wanted to go out there and be our true, authentic selves and not feel like we had to cater to any specific expectation from judges or from other teams,” Garcia said. “We wanted to pave our own path, break out of the mold and be something different. I feel like we absolutely accomplished that.”
Standing on the stage with her teammates and all the other finalists, senior captain Mallorie McFarlin waited to hear who would be crowned this year’s National Champions. Down to the remaining three teams, McFarlin and Orange Pride gathered in a circle and held each other's hands.
When third place was announced, they squeezed their hands a bit tighter. When second place was announced, they all bent their knees in anticipation. When Orange Pride was announced the winner, McFarlin said the feeling was “unreal.”
“We all just started jumping and hugging,” she said. “We all started crying a little bit. It was just an unreal experience, just to be there with your team and feel that same energy.”
This is Orange Pride’s first title win in D1-A and 14th overall. However, winning wasn’t the goal this year. The road to nationals was going to be difficult enough for Orange Pride in a new division, but the odds were certainly not in their favor as they had won the last five years in a row. With a solid returning class, McFarlin just wanted her team to make an impact and let everyone know they wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“This win really puts us on the map,” said Senior Assistant Director Brian McColpin. “Everyone looked down on us, and now we moved up to the division and we won. We are on the same level as all the other universities across the United States. No one is better than us. It was a big deal to us.”
With the new season just a few months away, Garcia looks forward to continuing to develop Orange Pride into an unstoppable force of genuine dancers that are not afraid to go outside the box. As for McFarlin, she credits her team’s success to Garcia and is excited to see her ideas come to fruition over the years.
While this was McFarlin’s last season with Orange Pride, she’ll always be cheering for them from the sidelines and can’t wait to see the fight they bring to their competition in the coming years.
“It's so hard for me because this was my fifth year,” McFarlin said. “I just had to do an extra year; I couldn't leave after four. This has been a life-changing experience for me. I'm so proud of this team.”
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