The Faribault Emeralds Dance Team placed third in the High Kick competition Saturday at the MSHSL State Dance Team Tournament in downtown Minneapolis.

In addition to team trophies, the top three teams receive individual medals for their accomplishment.

Six teams are chosen for the finals and the Emeralds made it to the finals in both the High Kick and Jazz competitions. Faribault was fifth in Jazz.

The AA High Kick State Champions are Sartell-St. Stephen. It's their third title, winning in 2011 and 2015 also. Defending High Kick champion Totino-Grace in Fridley was second this year.

Following Faribault in third place were Rocori, Cold Spring, St. Cloud Cathedral and Benilde-St. Margaret's in St. Louis Park.

The AA Jazz champions were Benilde-St. Margaret's of St. Louis Park. The Knightettes won their eighth title in Jazz, with championships in 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

Totino-Grace of Fridley was second, Sartell-St. Stephen third, Rocori, Cold Spring fourth, Faribault fifth and Mound Westonka sixth.

In Jazz and High Kick, judges observe the routines and award points on a 100-point scale. In High Kick and Jazz they judge the routines on their execution, choreography, difficulty and routine effectiveness.

In Jazz, a skills category requires judges to look for technique of turns, leaps and jumps and the difficulty of those skills. In High Kick there is a kicks category where judges look for technique, height and difficulty.

An All-Tournament Team is also selected in each class. The six teams in the finals named two dancers for the honor.

In Jazz, Faribault All-Tournament Team selections were Alana Bresnahan and Gracie Donahue and in High Kick Madisson Morris and Jacki Rindahl.

In Class A, Aitkin won their fourth consecutive High Kick title and ninth overall. The All- Starz also won in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010 and 2012.

BOLD of Olivia was runner-up. Yellow Medicine East of Granite Falls was third, Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd was fourth, Cannon Falls fifth and Frazee sixth.

Named to the Class A High Kick All-Tournament Team from Cannon Falls were Grace Hall and Brooke Kimmes.

Aitkin also won the Class A Jazz title. It was their second championship in Jazz, the previous coming in 2012. Defending champion Frazee was second, Yellow Medicine East of Granite Falls third, St. Charles fourth, Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd fifth and Marshall School of Duluth sixth.

Eastview of Apple Valley won both the Class AAA HIgh Kick and Jazz titles and it was a repeat for them in both. The Lighting have won 10 High Kick and four Jazz championships.

In Class AAA Jazz, Maple Grove was second and Edina third. Wayzata was fourth, Prior Lake fifth and Lakeville North sixth.

In High Kick, Wayzata placed second, Lakeville North third, Brainerd was fourth, Lakeville South fifth and Chaska sixth.

Named to the Class AAA High Kick All-Tournament Team from Lakeville North were Leah Eggan and Kailey McCollough. Lakeville South were Cassie Johnson and Tia Yorek. Eastivew Hannah Schroeder and McKinley Espinda Banick.

Named to the Class AAA Jazz All-Tournament Team from Lakeville North were Abbie Zell and Beth Bauerman and Eastview Katherine Hebig and Mikayla Koles.

While attending the send-off for the Emeralds on Thursday, I stopped by the trophy cases by Nomeland Gym and three cases are filled with dance team trophies from State and Section competitions since 1998. Wow! What a tradition of excellence!

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