Dance, while commonly known as entertainment, is in fact a sport. And no one did it better this past month at the USA Dance Nationals in Anaheim, California, than Tigard High School who walked away with a first-place trophy from the event.

The Tigerettes took home second-place trophies in the Large Jazz and Large Contemporary competitions, but claimed first place in the Large Pom division and in doing so earned what they’d been working so hard for throughout the year.

“I would say that this team has had kind of the grit and fight that I haven’t seen before,” Tigard head coach Maddie Mullins said. “They started to kind of feed on that early in the season, we could tell that they had a fire, and they really wanted to do well and compete at a high level. I think that played a lot into how well they did.”

And that fortitude is what made Mullins so happy for and honored to be a part of her team’s accomplishment.

“I’m incredibly proud of this team and the grit and determination that they’ve had,” Mullins said. “We’ve overcome a lot of obstacles, and they have been fighters through and through. So very thankful and proud for that.”

For a full understanding of how national events work in the world of dance and cheer, you’d likely need a hourlong tutorial from someone deep in the know. There are a few different national competitions and the qualifications for such are somewhat convoluted, but for what’s difficult to understand, what isn’t is the accomplishment.

Tigard qualified by way of video submissions which were subsequently judged and scored, and ultimately earned them a spot at the event in Anaheim. From there — in the Large Pom division — an onsite performance sent them to the finals where they performed again and tallied the winning score.

Mullins said they didn’t entirely know what to expect regarding the outside competition going in, but did know how hard they’d worked to get there, and leaned on that for confidence.

“We haven’t seen any of these teams before, so we go in being proud of the work that we put in and just kind of having no expectations, but hoping for the best,” Mullins said. “So, I was definitely surprised. I did not expect to come back with a championship, but I was hopeful for sure.”

Unlike most other sports in Oregon high school athletics, dance competes not for a few months, but for much of the year. They start in August, continue into March, and spend anywhere from eight to 15 hours per week honing their craft.

Add in additional training many of the members of the team do on their own, along with their home and academic responsibilities, and you have a level of commitment outsiders often take for granted. Mullins understands that commitment, and credits her seniors (Addison Flint, Anna Mimnaugh, Ashley Masters, Chloey Legg, Dylan Schreiber, Hope Bomar, Kaeley Doughty, and Maddie Chambers) for providing the leadership necessary to keep the squad on task.

“We have a group of eight amazing seniors and each of them brings something so special to this team,” Mullins said. “The leadership and kind of the energy and positivity they bring has been really impressive.”

And that leadership goes beyond the dance floor, for Mullins said their team prioritizes academics and they’ve seen the results due to such.

“I strongly believe that they are student athletes, and the student still needs to come first, and part of it is figuring out how to prioritize being a teammate and a good teammate, while still working on your studies,” Mullins said. “Being a part of this team is building a community inside and outside of the school, and the focus on academics has always been really big.”

And is it a sport? Some might debate that, but Mullins has no doubts and feels others are starting to understand that as well.

“I think that dance can be really easily looked at as solely an art, but these dancers are athletes and they put that same level of work in,” Mullins said. “Historically, dance maybe isn’t looked at as a traditional sport, but I would say that I think we’re growing and helping the community learn and understand what dance team is and what these athletes do.”

Now, with those eight seniors on the verge of graduation, it will be Mullins’ job — along with her team — to build on the success of this season. But while nothing comes easy, she’s fully confident in her remaining dancers to do just that.

“I think they’ve built a camaraderie and a family with each other,” Mullins said. “And being able to come back and understand what being so successful felt like, and learning all of the things that went into making them successful, kind of lights a fire for starting next season strong and continuing on that legacy.”