Rookie of the Year: Stony Lions Win Intercollegiate Lion Dance Competition

The Stony Lions at the annual Intercollegiate East Coast Lion Dance Competition at the University of Maryland.

In their first year of competing at the annual Intercollegiate East Coast Lion Dance Competition, the Stony Lions of Stony Brook University won the championship, besting several schools - and making good on the prediction of their academic advisor.

"The Stony Lions team said they were going to win this championship before they left campus, and they did!" said Mei Lin (Ete) Chan, assistant professor of practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. "This is a group of motivated, dynamic and creative students who are passionate about enhancing the awareness of this traditional Chinese culture and serving their AAPI communities on and off campus."

The Stony Lions were established as a new student club at Stony Brook University in 2025. It preserves the rich tradition of Chinese Lion Dance by combining martial arts and dance to teach and inspire the next generation of young Asian Americans to embrace their cultural heritage and identity, while also fostering cultural appreciation through performances, workshops, and community engagement.

Ete, the gold and white lion named after Professor Chan, was used for the Intercollegiate East Coast Lion Dance Competition, with a highlight performing a headstack on double benches.

The Stony Lions have performed on campus through performances for cultural clubs such as the Asian Student Alliance, the Chinese Association at Stony Brook, and more. The club started out in a small piano practice room, which then turned into hosting its own events and attracting over 100 attendees for its 2026 Lunar New Year event.

The art of lion dancing includes a blend of martial arts, energetic dancing, and rhythmic, loud music played by drums and cymbals. The origin of lion dancing was a way to scare away old spirits during the Chinese New Year, but it has become a unique way to celebrate and bring good luck to any event.

The Stony Lions made the eight-hour commute by train to the University of Maryland in April for the annual Intercollegiate East Coast Lion Dance Competition, held at the Ritchie Coliseum. The full-day competition consisted of trading cards, mini games, guest showcases and most importantly, performances from schools like MIT, Columbia, Cornell and other schools.

For their first year competing, the Stony Lions did not doubt themselves for a bit as they had practiced and refined their routine for the past month, and while other schools had two performances, the Stony Lions were depending on their one performance to outdo all the other schools.

After seven hours, it was finally time to announce the winners. In third place was MIT, and in second place was Penn Lions. For first place, the winner would receive a new lion head, drum - and the honor of hosting the next competition.

The announcer cut the silence with one phrase, "Stony Brook," and the team ecstatically realized its victory. As Headlines by Drake started to play, the team soaked up the moment and retrieved their first-place medals and team-effort trophy.

Brian Yeung, president of Stony Lions, described what this win means to him: "Winning the 2026 Intercollegiate Championships meant so much more than a title, it was a reflection of everything this team has poured into this journey… This club is rising, not just in recognition, but in heart and spirit. And I truly hope that what we've built continues long after us, giving future generations of Asian American students a place to belong, to feel seen, and to discover pride in who they are just like we did."

The Stony Lions finally made their debut as Rookie of the Year, taking the win home. The Stony Lions have a lot in store for the next year and are more than excited to grow their community on campus and host the next competition on home ground.

Students explaining the use of 3D printed assistive technologies to elders at Long Island Care Center.

The Stony Lions went beyond the field of competition and the classroom and took their passions on a recent two-hour drive to Flushing, New York, to the Long Island Care Center (LICC). A core value of the group is to support the AAPI community, and that does not only confine them to the younger generation but elders.

The Stony Lions believe in giving back to the community, and in February, the team was able to gain the Ignite Grant in gratitude to the Center for Service Learning and Community Service and execute an Lunar New Year outreach in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) Undergraduate Chapter and 3D Printing and Assistive Technology for Health (3D PATH).

Marseil Eyma, recreation director of LICC, said, "Long Island Care Center had the honor of welcoming Stony Lions and APAMSA students to our facility for a day filled with activities such as arts and crafts, lion dance and singing. Such events promote intergenerational connections while celebrating the cultural traditions that unite the community."

The team performed and engaged with the elders in physical therapy activities such as lantern making and paper dragon assembling, planned by APAMSA, leaving more than smiles on their faces.