YPSILANTI, Mich. – Morningside University (Iowa) improved on their lead after the preliminary performance to secure the school's first NAIA Competitive Dance National Championship. The Mustangs recorded the highest point total in the event's history inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.

Finals Performance Highlights

• Morningside's winning score was 0.93 points higher than the inaugural score by Midland
• The sixth annual event was the first time since a team other than St. Ambrose (Iowa) or Midland (Neb.) secured the Red Banner
• Four of the five previous times the competition was held, St. Ambrose finished in the Top Two
• The Bees score of 92.17 was a program best and was higher than their 2021 championship score of 88.72
• Two-time champions Midland finished in third place, which is tied for their second lowest finish
• Grand View (Iowa) posted their highest finish – fourth- in program history, bettering their seventh place finish in 2017
• Viterbo was the highest finisher (seventh) of the programs in their first championship experience
• The Runner-Up from a year ago, Oklahoma City, ended the competition in eight place
• Baker (Kan.) edged Viterbo (Wisc.) for sixth place by only nine-hundredths of a point – the smallest margin in the field
• This year, the field increased back to a full 12 teams; last season was limited to eight due to COVID-19
• Aquinas (Mich.), Baker, Grand View, Midland, Morningside, Oklahoma City, and St. Ambrose have reached the championships all six years
• Friday's preliminary performance accounted for 25% of their total, with the finals on Saturday comprising the other 75%
• Teams posting the highest scores on Day One will have the advantage of slotting in deeper into the competition on Saturday

Finals Team Standings

1. Morningside University (Iowa) – 92.31
2. St. Ambrose University (Iowa) – 92.17
3. Midland University (Neb.) – 84.03
4. Grand View University (Iowa) - 83.43
5. Aquinas College (Mich.) – 81.38
6. Baker University (Kan.) – 80.73
7. Viterbo University (Wisc.) – 80.64
8. Oklahoma City University – 80.07
9. Thomas More University (Ky.) – 75.65
10. Point Park University (Penn.) – 67.53
11. Doane University (Neb.) – 67.45
12. University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) – 66.00