The Austin Packer dance team will head into the state dance meet with a lot of momentum as it advanced in both the jazz and high kick division for the first time since 2004.

Austin took home the Section 1AA title in the Jazz Division Saturday at South Saint Paul, after missing out on the state meet in jazz due to a tie-breaker last season.

“From fourth to first is a big jump and taking first gives us a lot of confidence. It gives us the energy and excitement to work towards qualifying for the finals,” Austin assistant dance coach Wendy Fleiner said. “People are chasing us instead of us chasing them.”

Last year Austin, which has eight seniors and 12 juniors on the team, took fifth in the hick kick division, and it hopes to return to the finals again (six of 12 teams compete in the finals).

“Our goal is to make it to the finals in both. Placing in the top three would be our dream,” Fleiner said. “These girls have worked hard and are so deserving of this. We have a lot of talented and experienced girls who have been to state before. Their hard work has paid off.”

The Packers will be the 12th team competing in the high kick preliminaries Friday at 2:15 p.m. at Target Center. The finals are at 7:15 p.m. Some of the better teams competing with the Packers will be St. Cloud Cathedral, Faribault — which won Austin’s section, Totino-Grace, and Academy of Holy Angels.

Austin will be the fourth team competing in the jazz preliminaries Saturday at 2:15 p.m. at Target Center. The finals are at 7:15 p.m.

Some of the better teams competing with Austin will be Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Sartell, Totino-Grace, and Spring Lake Park.

This is the seventh straight year the High Kick Team returns to the State Tournament.