The 2024-25 season will be Samantha Ziwicki third as the head coach of the Blue Devil Dance Team.
The 2024 season set Blue Devil records for Dance Team, scoring team records in jazz, hip hop, and pom on the WACPC scoring system. Additionally, the Blue Devils took seventh at the WACPC State Competition in both Jazz and Hip Hop. The team returned to the hip hop category for the first time since 2018 with routine “Pure / Honey” choreographed by Selly Tally, Minneapolis based hip hop influencer, studio owner, and artist. The team’s pom routine was choreographed by Blue Devil dance alumna Emily Brenner, and their jazz routine choreographed by team’s own Grace Johnson (Strum.)
The Blue Devils Dance Team finished the 2023 season with success at the DX Americup Championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota, being named the winner of the 2024 Andrew Lawrence Sportsmanship & Spirit Award. Senior Isabel Bratley was named the Collegiate All-American Championship and senior Catelyn Capozzi was named the Distinguished Leader of the Year. The jazz team received a ‘Judges Choice’ award for their routine Stand in the Light, choreographed by head coach Samantha Ziwicki. A small group team was also named champions for their small group routine Never Tear Us Apart, choreographed by junior dancer Cami Bertossi. The team walked away from the season with the highest team scores in Blue Devils Dance history across their five competitions.
Ziwicki was a three year member and two year team captain of the Blue Devils Dance Team while studying at UW-Stout and led the team to their first national appearance in 2020 at the UDA National Competition in Orlando, Florida. Samantha has over 20 years of experience in the sport having trained in numerous styles including jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, kick, pom, musical theatre, contemporary, and pointe.
While an active student at UW-Stout, Samantha also expanded her realm of coaching knowledge as an assistant coach of the Menomonie Mustangs Gymnastics Team for three seasons. While coaching the high school athletes, Samantha helped to grow their floor and beam skills through creating visual and dynamic choreography later competed across the state of Wisconsin.
In addition to her gymnastics and dance involvement at UW-Stout, Samantha also was an active member of Alpha Phi, a three-year campus tour guide in the Admissions office, and named a three time campus ambassador through the Chancellor’s Office and UW-Stout Alumni Association. Additionally, Samantha was selected as a recipient of the Samuel E. Woods Medallion, the highest non-academic recognition a UW-Stout Student can achieve.
A Monticello, Minn, native, Ziwicki received her bachelors degree in hotel, restaurant and tourism management in 2021. Ziwicki resides in Woodbury, Minn. where she works full time for the Minnesota Vikings as a Player & Community Relations Coordinator. Samantha is in the midst of her fouth season with the NFL Team.
