California State University, San Marcos
02/25/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/25/2026 18:40
Dance Team Wins First National Title in Program History
25
February
2026
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16:36 PM
America/Los_Angeles
Dance Team Wins First National Title in Program History
By Brian Hiro
The CSUSM dance team poses with its trophies and medals after the USA Collegiate Championships.
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The Cal State San Marcos dance team has enjoyed a resurgence over the last several years since it was reestablished as a sport club under Campus Recreation in 2021.
But the team had never reached the summit - until last weekend.
The Cougars won a national title at the United Spirit Association (USA) Collegiate Championships in Anaheim on Sunday. They finished first in the "4 Year College Pom Div. II/III" finals, totaling 91.83 points out of 100 to edge second-place Chico State with 86.17.
They also finished second in the "4 Year College Jazz Div. II/III" finals, with their score of 88.67 points placing just behind Chapman University (92.17).
The pom title marked the first championship in program history. The best previous finish had been third place in both pom and jazz.
Adia Larsen is in her first year as president of the club, which features a record-high 23 dancers this season. The fourth-year student, who's a nursing major (with a minor in dance studies) on track to graduate from CSUSM in May 2027, said she has been dancing since age 4.
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"This achievement means so much more to our team than just a title," Larsen said. "It represents the hard work, dedication and sacrifices we have all made to build this program and create something truly special. As a newly reestablished program of just five years, we have experienced tremendous growth in a short amount of time. During that span, we have worked to make a name for ourselves and represent our school with pride and integrity."
Joining Larsen as club officers are Sophia Olvera, vice president; and Caryssa Cavanias, treasurer. The team's coach is Nguyen Bui, who has led the club's revival since 2021. Bui's assistants are Casey Bui (fourth year) and Olivia Bradford, who's in her first year after graduating from CSUSM last May. Bradford was a four-year member of the team and a two-year president.
The USA championships last weekend served doubled as good preparation for the team's biggest competition of the season: the National Dance Alliance College Nationals from April 8-11 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Members of the campus community can support and send off the dance team when it hosts a nationals showcase in the Sports Center on April 4 at 12:30 p.m.
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California State University, San Marcos published this content on February 25, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 26, 2026 at 00:40 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]