Watertown Places Third in Jazz at 2026 South Dakota State Dance Championships; Cheer Places Seventh Overall
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown High School cheer and dance teams both earned seventh-place overall finishes in Class AA, highlighted by a third-place podium finish in Jazz, while Sioux Valley claimed the Class A Cheer Grand Championship at the 2026 South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) State Competitive Cheer and Dance Championships.
The two-day state tournament took place at the Summit Arena at The Monument in Rapid City. Class A teams competed on Friday, Oct. 23, followed by Class AA competition on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Watertown and Area Class AA Results
In Class AA dance competition, Watertown placed seventh overall in the Dance Grand Champion standings with 32 points. The Arrows earned their highest category finish in Jazz, taking third place in the state with a score of 269, trailing only state champion Brandon Valley (296) and runner-up Harrisburg (289.5). Watertown also competed in the Pom division, finishing seventh with a score of 261.
Brandon Valley won the Class AA Dance Grand Championship with 40 points, edging second-place Harrisburg (39) and third-place Sioux Falls Jefferson (36).
Among other area and Eastern South Dakota Conference (ESD) programs in Class AA dance:
· Aberdeen Central placed 12th overall (27 points), finishing sixth in Pom (264) and ninth in Hip Hop (250.5).
· Brookings placed 16th overall (21 points), finishing eighth in Jazz (240.5) and 13th in Hip Hop (228.5).
· Huron placed 17th overall (19 points), finishing 11th in Pom (228) and 12th in Hip Hop (231).
In the Class AA Cheer Grand Champion standings, Watertown secured seventh place out of 17 competing schools with a score of 265.5. O'Gorman won the Class AA Cheer Grand Championship with 295 points, one point ahead of runner-up Sioux Falls Jefferson (294). Harrisburg placed third at 287.5.
In regional Class AA cheer action, Brookings finished sixth overall with 272 points, just ahead of seventh-place Watertown. Huron finished 14th (216.5), and Aberdeen Central placed 17th (183). Sioux Falls Roosevelt won the Class AA Co-Ed division with 220, followed by Pierre T.F. Riggs in second with 210.
Area Teams Shine in Class A Cheer and Dance
Northeast and East River teams posted top finishes at Friday's Class A competition, led by Sioux Valley, which won the Class A Cheer Grand Championship and the Large Cheer division title with a score of 277.5. Winner placed second overall (260.5), and St. Mary's finished third (258.5).
Several other regional programs placed in the Class A cheer standings:
· Elkton-Lake Benton took fourth place in both the Class A Cheer Grand Champion standings and the Large Cheer division with a score of 255.
· Wolsey-Wessington captured the Small Cheer state title and placed fifth overall in the Class A Cheer Grand Champion standings with a score of 249.
· Deubrook Area earned fifth place in the Small Cheer division and finished ninth overall in the Class A Cheer Grand Champion standings with 217 points.
· Faulkton Area took sixth in Small Cheer and 10th overall with a score of 204.5.
· Iroquois/Lake Preston finished seventh in Small Cheer and 11th overall with a score of 203.5.
In the Class A Co-Ed division, Wagner won the Grand Championship with 227 points, while Dell Rapids finished as the state runner-up with 213.
In Class A dance, Dakota Valley won the Dance Grand Championship with 40 points after taking the Pom (295.5) and Jazz (295.5) titles. Winner finished second overall with 38 points, and Gregory placed third with 37 points. Wagner won the Class A Hip Hop title with 235.5 points.
Full 2026 SDHSAA State Cheer and Dance Results
Class AA Results
Class AA Cheer Grand Champion
1. O'Gorman — 295
2. Sioux Falls Jefferson — 294
3. Harrisburg — 287.5
4. Tea Area — 275.5
5. Rapid City Central — 274
6. Brookings — 272
7. Watertown — 265.5
8. Sturgis Brown — 238.5
9. Rapid City Stevens — 236
10. Sioux Falls Washington — 228.5
11. Douglas — 221.5
12. Mitchell — 219.5
13. Yankton — 217
14. Huron — 216.5
15. Sioux Falls Lincoln — 209
16. Brandon Valley — 197
17. Aberdeen Central — 183
Class AA Co-Ed Cheer
1. Sioux Falls Roosevelt — 220
2. Pierre T.F. Riggs — 210
Class AA Dance Grand Champion
1. Brandon Valley — 40
2. Harrisburg — 39
3. Sioux Falls Jefferson — 36
4. Sioux Falls Washington — 36
5. Yankton — 35
6. Sioux Falls Lincoln — 34
7. Watertown — 32
8. Pierre T.F. Riggs — 30
9. Rapid City Central — 29
10. O'Gorman — 29
11. Sioux Falls Roosevelt — 28
12. Aberdeen Central — 27
13. Tea Area — 24
14. Mitchell — 22
15. Rapid City Stevens — 22
16. Brookings — 21
17. Huron — 19
18. Douglas — 16
Class AA Hip Hop
1. Harrisburg — 294
2. Sioux Falls Jefferson — 292.5
3. Sioux Falls Washington — 285.5
4. Sioux Falls Lincoln — 284.5
5. Rapid City Central — 281.5
6. O'Gorman — 278.5
7. Pierre T.F. Riggs — 256
8. Sioux Falls Roosevelt — 255
9. Aberdeen Central — 250.5
10. Tea Area — 247
11. Mitchell — 237.5
12. Huron — 231
13. Brookings — 228.5
14. Douglas — 218.5
Class AA Pom
1. Brandon Valley — 296
2. Yankton — 288
3. Sioux Falls Washington — 286
4. Sioux Falls Jefferson — 285
5. Pierre T.F. Riggs — 267
6. Aberdeen Central — 264
7. Watertown — 261
8. Tea Area — 255
9. Rapid City Central — 255
10. Rapid City Stevens — 231
11. Huron — 228
12. Douglas — 222.5
Class AA Jazz
1. Brandon Valley — 296
2. Harrisburg — 289.5
3. Watertown — 269
4. Sioux Falls Lincoln — 266.5
5. Yankton — 266
6. Sioux Falls Roosevelt — 264
7. O'Gorman — 261.5
8. Brookings — 240.5
9. Mitchell — 232.5
10. Rapid City Stevens — 222.5
Class A Results
Class A Cheer Grand Champion
1. Sioux Valley — 277.5
2. Winner — 260.5
3. St. Mary's — 258.5
4. Elkton-Lake Benton — 255
5. Wolsey-Wessington — 249
6. Parkston — 242
7. Beresford — 231.5
8. St. Thomas More — 217.5
9. Deubrook Area — 217
10. Faulkton Area — 204.5
11. Iroquois/Lake Preston — 203.5
12. Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian — 196
13. Gregory — 194
14. Lyman — 187.5
15. Bon Homme — 186
Class A Large Cheer
1. Sioux Valley — 277.5
2. Winner — 260.5
3. St. Mary's — 258.5
4. Elkton-Lake Benton — 255
5. Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian — 196
6. Gregory — 194
Class A Small Cheer
1. Wolsey-Wessington — 249
2. Parkston — 242
3. Beresford — 231.5
4. St. Thomas More — 217.5
5. Deubrook Area — 217
6. Faulkton Area — 204.5
7. Iroquois/Lake Preston — 203.5
8. Lyman — 187.5
9. Bon Homme — 186
Class A Co-Ed Cheer Grand Champion
1. Wagner — 227
2. Dell Rapids — 213
3. Hot Springs — 186.5
4. Belle Fourche — 177.5
5. Crazy Horse — 152
Class A Dance Grand Champion
1. Dakota Valley — 40
2. Winner — 38
3. Gregory — 37
4. Wagner — 36
5. Platte-Geddes — 35
6. Lakota Tech — 35
7. Belle Fourche — 32
Class A Hip Hop
1. Wagner — 235.5
2. Gregory — 233.5
3. Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian — 230
4. Lakota Tech — 219
5. Crazy Horse — 200.5
Class A Pom
1. Dakota Valley — 295.5
2. Winner — 247
3. Gregory — 240
4. Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian — 227.5
5. Wagner — 225
6. Belle Fourche — 199
Class A Jazz
1. Dakota Valley — 295.5
2. Winner — 221.5
3. Lakota Tech — 206.5
4. Belle Fourche — 205
