The competitive cheer and dance team will compete in a regional qualifier over spring break in Adrian, Mich., but first the team previewed its routines for friends, family and prospective teammates.

The teams combined for a showcase in the Student Center Gym Sunday to perform for an audience one last time before leaving for Michigan.

“We’ve been taking a look at the feedback from the judges at each of the competitions and we’ve made the revisions to our teams as they’ve given us suggestions,” head coach Bettina Herold said. “We’ve been drilling the areas they’ve marked as weaknesses.”

For several years, the cheer and dance teams were classified as clubs at the university. However, this year they were recognized by both the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the university as a competitive varsity sport.

The transition changed the teams’ dynamic by now allowing them to compete against other schools. Both placed within the top ten during their first competitions. The teams also performed at Point Park basketball games throughout the season.

The weekend showcase featured performances from the cheer and dance teams both individually and as a combined squad.

The cheer squad performed a routine that involved tumbling and stunt groups. The dance team took the floor to show the audience their talents in a performance that was a fusion of complicated turns, kicks and intricate movements.

Together, a combined team debuted a collaborative piece to Sia’s “The Greatest,” which combined traditional and urban dance cultures. The performance was followed by a reception that included pizza, snacks and beverages for all in attendance.

The team is not only confident in their moves, but also in its chemistry.

“We can come in to practice, laugh and have fun and still get work done,” team captain Darian Leighty said.

The team will travel Saturday to Siena Heights University to compete at the Northeast Region National Qualifier. It will be the fourth year in a row the school has hosted the qualifier.

The Pioneers will compete in the Northeast grouping against 13 other schools, including nearby Robert Morris University.

The Pioneers hope to be one of 12 teams to advance to the national competition in March. The top scoring teams in each of the four regional competitions will automatically qualify, and the remaining eight spots will be derived from the highest overall scoring teams.

“We’ve been working really hard, and we’ve changed up our cheer routine to increase difficulty,” team captain Deanna Harris said. “We’re hoping to do as good as we can for ourselves since this is our first year.”

In terms of looking forward, the team is looking to continue to expand. Having only become a varsity sport this year, the team has room to grow.

“We’ve been focusing on recruiting for the incoming classes and have been marketing our great performances this year,” Herold said.