Minnesota state high kick champions include Brainerd

The Minnesota Star Tribune

February 15, 2026 at 9:58 PM

Minnesota’s 36 high school high kick dance teams took a trip around the world within the confines of Target Center during the state tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14.

From reigning 2A state champ Totino-Grace’s “Mambo Italiano” routine and Westonka’s “Mr. Worldwide” kick line, to Rogers’ French-inspired turn series and Orono’s “Welcome to Miami” neon sequence, the theme of the day was glitter and globetrotting.

But Brainerd proved that sometimes the best inspiration is close to home.

The team’s jazzy “A Tribute to Fosse” landed the Kixters their third state high kick title in a row and their second 3A title of 2026 after Friday’s victory in the jazz competition. The school had never previously won both titles in the same year. Brainerd’s last state title before its current run began in 2024 came in 1999.

Head coach Cindy Clough credits the latest victory to how close-knit the team is, growing up dancing at the same studio in Brainerd.

“They are like a family,” Clough said. “For me as a coach, this has been one of my favorite years because there’s been no drama.”

“There’s so much love,” senior captain Louie Korhonen said. “We all grew up dancing at the same studio, so we really knew each other from the age of 6 to now.”

Eastview’s air, earth, water and fire “Elements” routine kicked it into second for the second year in a row.

Wayzata’s sky-high kicks in “Toy Soldier” landed it in third. The last time the school won a high kick title was in 2019. This year, the roster of 32 screamed as though it’d snatched first place.

Italian flags twirled in the air from the stands as the Totino-Grace E’Gals were named the 2A state high kick champs for the third year in a row. The team, clad in crisp white pantsuits and ascots, huddled together in tears.

Senior captain Purpose Price yelled into the audience with both hands gripping the trophy following the victory.

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“I said, ‘This is for my seniors,’ ” Price said. “I’m really close with the seniors who graduated last year, and I wouldn’t be where I am right now — the dancer that I am, the leader that I am — without learning from them and being with them. So, it’s for the E’Gals before us. Our legacy is so strong.”

Benilde-St. Margaret’s Beyonce mash-up titled “Get in Formation” couldn’t secure the school’s second dance title over the weekend after it finished first in Friday’s jazz competition. The Knightettes took home third in high kick, while Sartell’s “Gossip Girl”-inspired routine landed the Sabres in second place.

Forty-two red-gloved hands wrapped around the 1A high kick state title trophy. St. Cloud Cathedral’s Cruella de Vil-inspired “Born to be Bad” routine secured a score of 6 and the Crusaderette’s first state high kick title since 2023.

“It means everything. It’s a full circle moment,” senior captain Natalie Granowski said. “We were just eighth graders when we won it for the first time in a long time.”

St. Cloud Cathedral’s brief two-year dominant streak in 2022 and 2023 came after a 12-year dry spell. Driving home without medaling last year made this year’s victory even sweeter.

“The teamwork and the buy-in [led to this],” head coach Marissa Haakonson said. “I think from the start, everyone kind of just went all in and worked together and believed that if we work hard, we can achieve.”

Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd’s slumber party at center court titled “Bring Me a Dream” won the Shadows 8 points, but they finished second after winning the jazz competition Friday. Holdingford, which won its first and only state high kick title in 2024, snagged third for the second straight year.