Hannah Smerillo ‘27 on the Wildcats Dance Team’s success at regionals

By Sinead Quinn

On Jan. 24, 2026, the St. Kate’s Wildcats dance team was awarded the college’s first College Jazz Regional Championship Title at the DX AmeriCup Dance Championship in Minneapolis. Their score – 254.5 out of 300 – granted them their second regional title. Aside from the title, the Wildcats were awarded various other accolades and recognitions. Hannah Smerillo ‘27 (Psychology) was honored with a DX Distinguished Leadership Award. I had the chance to speak with Smerillo about the experience.

SQ: What music did the team perform to for the College Jazz competition, and how long was the routine?

HS: It's part of dance team traditions to not disclose the routine name or song until much closer to our national championship, so we cannot disclose that yet until our Nationals Send Off on March 29th! [The Wildcats will attend nationals in Orlando, Florida this spring.]

SQ: What was the energy like going into the event? What was it like to win the University's first College Jazz Regional Championship Title?

HS: Going into the DX AmeriCup, the team was super excited. We had the opportunity to compete against other DIII, DII and DI teams, as this year the competition combined divisions, which was a first for me and my time on the team. This honestly put a bit of fire under our seats and made us hungrier to do well. After winning the program’s first-ever Jazz Regional Championship, there was a huge feeling of pride across the team. The first-place routine gets their song played to reveal the winning dance, and there's nothing quite like hearing the first few counts of music play before standing up with the team to accept that accomplishment.

SQ: The Wildcats also received the Judges' Standout Award for emotion and heart. What makes the Wildcats in particular so energetic and involved?

HS: I think our team of Wildcats has a way of capturing the emotion of whatever routine we are given. This award was a great affirmation that we are doing things right and to just keep pushing forward. One of my favorite parts about dance is finding a story in the routine, whether that's jazz, hip hop, contemporary, or ballet. Getting this award was a great push for our team to keep finding the story in whatever routine we put on the floor.

SQ: St. Kate's was recognized with the DX Academic Excellence Award for team cumulative GPA. How does the Wildcats dance team find the balance between academic and athletic effort? What do you do to support each other in school and on the floor?

HS: St. Kate's Dance Team is full of talented and smart individuals, so getting this recognition was so fun. Our practices are in the evenings, so we have time during the day to succeed as students. A huge emphasis in St. Kate's athletics is putting the student in student-athlete, so I believe this recognition was a reflection of that. I think the biggest thing we can do, though, is leave school at the front door when we head into practice, allowing ourselves to have a mental break from the realities and challenges of being a college student and rather focus on the sport we grew up loving and being able to use it as an outlet.

SQ: Hannah, you were honored with the DX Distinguished Leadership Award. What was it like to earn the award?

HS: I am very honoured to have been awarded the DX Distinguished Leadership Award. Honestly, I feel as though that award could have easily gone to any of my teammates. Our team is filled with leaders in all parts of life. Our team does not have distinguished captains, so we all have the opportunity to step up and lead within the team. It was cool to see the club that I am currently the president of here at St. Kate’s, The Hidden Opponent, get recognized as contributing to my nomination. I am a huge believer in mental health, so being able to be recognized for that was rewarding. I'm so grateful for the executive board of our chapter here, which includes two of my teammates, for helping continue the conversation surrounding mental health.

SQ: Tell us a little bit about what it's like to be on the team.

HS: Being on the dance team is the highlight of my St. Kate’s career. The family that has been built within the team and within athletics is truly like no other, and I'm so happy I got to continue dancing into the collegiate level. St. Kate’s is one of the few institutions to consider dance a part of their athletic department, so it's truly amazing to have the same resources as other athletic teams. We lift with our lift coach twice a week, and practice twice–sometimes three times–a week for a few hours in the evenings or on weekends. The most difficult part of training is the toll that it takes on my body, especially as I get older, but with proper strength training programs created specifically for our team, and amazing support from our athletic trainer, we have the proper tools and resources to take care of our bodies. The most rewarding part of being on the team is definitely the relationships I have made with my teammates, but also with athletes on other teams as well. Part of the athletic mission is being a team of teams, which, in my opinion, is one of the most rewarding and overall fun parts of being a student-athlete. 

The Wildcats are no doubt set up for academic and athletic success for the rest of the competition season. Next, the team will participate in DTU’s College Classic Virtual National Championships in March, and then attend nationals at DTU’s College Classic National Championships in Orlando.