UCSD Dancesport made a strong showing at the first competition of the Spring Quarter, the Stanford Cardinal Classic. A small group of members competed, and rose to the occasion to represent the team well.

In the American Smooth events, Michaelangelo Sansano and Julia Svajda put on a stellar performance, sweeping the Bronze category with a first place in all four dances: the Waltz, the Tango, the Foxtrot, and the Viennese Waltz. They also debuted in the Silver division, placing 3rd in Silver Waltz, and 6th in Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz. Nivedita Kasi and Zeena Bangar won the hearts of the crowd and the judges, winning a 4th place in Newcomer Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz, and 6th in Waltz.

In the International Standard events, Lyssa Lashus and Sage Beutler put on an impressive performance in the Newcomer division, winning 2nd in Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep, and 3rd in Waltz. Michaelangelo Sansano and Julia Svajda placed 6th in Bronze Tango and Quickstep.

In the American Rhythm events, Cadie Sparks and Naomika Nadkarni put on their strongest performance yet, securing a first place in the Bronze Bolero, 2nd in Mambo, and 4th in Cha Cha and Rumba. They also advanced to the Silver final in Swing and Bolero, placing 6th in each. Lyssa Lashus and Julia Svajda made their debut in the Rhythm category, winning an impressive first place in Newcomer Mambo, Bolero, and Rumba, and 3rd in Cha Cha and Swing. They also scored a 2nd place in Bronze Bolero, and 3rd in Cha Cha and Mambo.

In the final syllabus category of the night, the International Latin, the UCSD team proved to be fierce competitors. Cadie Sparks and Naomika Nadkarni brought a fire to the dance floor, placing 2nd in Bronze Paso Doble, 3rd in Jive, and 4th in Rumba, as well as placing 4th in Silver Paso Doble. Julia Svajda and Lyssa Lashus kept up the heat, winning 4th place in Bronze Cha Cha, Paso Doble, and Jive, and 6th in Samba. They also placed an impressive 3rd place in Silver Paso Doble and 6th in Cha Cha/Rumba. Michaelangelo Sansano placed first in the Newcomer Paso Doble and Cha Cha, as well as 3rd in Bronze Paso Doble. Nivedita Kasi and Zeena Bangar placed 3rd in Newcomer Paso Doble, and 6th in Samba and Cha Cha. Sage Beutler placed first in Rookie Follower Samba, 2nd in Rumba, and 5th in Jive.

To close out the night, UCSD Dancesport brought flair and fun with their improvised Nightclub performances. Michaelangelo placed first in Beginner Bachata and Merengue. Naomika Nadkarni and Cadie Sparks placed 3rd in Beginner Hustle, 4th in Blues, Merengue, West Coast Swing, and Polka, and 5th in Nightclub 2-Step. Lyssa Lashus placed 3rd in Advanced West Coast Swing. Lyssa Lashus and Julia Svajda placed 4th in Beginner Nightclub 2-Step and Salsa, 5th in Polka and Bachata, and 6th in Merengue.

The UC San Diego Dancesport team was excited to celebrate such strong performances just as the quarter started up, and looking forward to preparing for their next, and final, competition of the year, the Berkeley Classic.