The Panther volleyball team was busy through the end of regular season play. Dakota Valley travelled to Vermillion on Oct. 21 and hosted Tea Area Oct. 24. Both matches had the Panthers coming away with victories.

The Panther competitive cheer squad brought home a 3rd place finish on Oct. 10 from the Bon Homme Invite. Dakota Valley battled through a teammate’s illness and adjustment to their routine to still score high and come away with a solid performance.

The Dakota Valley dance team travelled over 160 miles on Saturday, Oct. 15 to dominate and perform at the Black Panther Cheer and Dance Competition hosted by Platte- Geddes. First place honors were achieved for both of Dakota Valley’s routines in pom and jazz. These top finishes also crowned the talented dance squad as grand champions for the day.

The dance squad for Dakota Valley has high goals for their state contest in Watertown, SD Friday, Oct. 21. It is the hope of all that the Panthers will extend their consecutive state run of 1st place titles.

The Panther competitive cheer squad travels to state competition in Watertown, SD on Oct. 21. The competition is set to start at 5 p.m. on that Friday for Class A schools. The Class AA schools will compete on Saturday. Dakota Valley is slated to perform at 6:19 p.m. “We were state runner up last year and it would be incredible to continue to hold that title,” Cheer Coach Melanie Yakel stated. “We would ultimately be happy with a top four placement.” The Panther cheer squad consists of 9 students, which makes their squad unique and also smaller than most when it comes to competition. Members of the 2022 roster include: Olivia Scardino, Bailey Link, Madison Bell, Mia Lynch, Sunny Byington, Raelee Felix, Chloe Smith, Claire Kilcullen and Rachel Bryan. “The team’s biggest strength this year is their ability to overcome any obstacles in their way,” Yakel detailed. “We are tiny – but mighty – this year so any absence, illness or injury takes a large toll on our ability to practice efficiently. They have proven over and over again that they can handle that pressure. They are quick to pick up changes, they are willing to sub in for different positions when needed and continue to pour everything they have into every performance.”

Send-offs will be held on Friday, Oct. 21 for the Cheer, Dance and Cross Country teams as they leave for their state tournaments. The North Sioux City Police and Fire departments will escort the teams to the interstate on ramp. The send-off for Cheer and Dance is at 9:30 a.m. and Cross Country is slated for noon. The community is invited to attend.

A brisk afternoon, along with some strong running competition, greeted the Dakota Valley cross country team in Vermillion on Thursday, Oct. 13 at the SDHSAA Region 3A meet. A lot was on the line, as only the top 3 boys teams, top 3 girls teams and the 20 fastest individuals from each varsity race would qualify for state.

For the first time since 2013, Dakota Valley will be sending both the girls and boys varsity teams to state for cross country on Saturday, October 22nd. The meet will take place in Huron, SD at the Broadland Creek National Golf Course. Members of the girls varsity team include: Sophia Redler, Alex McCullough, Ella Otten, Mia Riibe, Finley Huber and Lizzie Mueller.

It was a back and forth game for the Panthers under the Friday night lights on Oct. 14 in Beresford, SD.

The Dakota Valley varsity volleyball team had a busy week with a match at Lennox Oct. 11 and the conference tournament at West Central Oct.