By Rebecca Wyatt, OU Web Writer

Images, Oakland University’s dance team, took fifth place at the Universal Dance Association’s National College Championship in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 14-16.

Colleges from around the United States submitted videotaped entries, and from those, 10 teams were chosen to compete in the finals.

Images’ head coach, Teri Cherian, is proud of the team’s performance and it’s improvement over a 10^th place finish at the competition last year.

“That was a huge jump for us from 10^th place to 5^th place,” Cherian said.

Cherian, along with second-year assistant coach Erin Shea and choreographer Tricia Crawford, a member of the Piston’s dance team, Automotion, lead the 14-member team, which includes nine first-year members.

“I’ve never had such a young team, so for them to do so well at nationals is really unbelievable,” Cherian said.

At the UDA national competition, teams only get one chance to perform. Adding to that pressure, Images was the first team to perform, allowing them to set the tone for the competition.

“You have to hit it the first time. There isn’t any second chance,” Cherian said. “These girls did not crack under the pressure.”

Images also took first place at the regional competition held in Bowling Green, Ohio, in July.

Images performs for the men’s and women’s basketball teams’ home games, soccer tournaments and various other festivities such as the Christmas parade in downtown Rochester.

For more information on the team, visit the Images Dance Team Web page.