The Austin Packer Dance team is very familiar with the state meet. They’ve competed in state in each of the last 14 years.

But the Packers are hoping to do more than just get to state this winter. They’re hoping to finally get a medal and finish in the top three. Austin’s captains, who include McKenna Hotek, Cloey Thorpe, Madison Klein and Mary Willrodt, are hoping they can end this year on a high note.

“Since my freshman year we’ve always heard state medal, state medal, state medal,” Klein said. “The state medal has always been our drive and we kind of try to keep that drive in the girls coming up.”

While the Packers have competed in multiple state dance meets, they’ve often been on the outside looking in when it comes to earning a medal, and it’s often been by very slim margins. This year’s Austin team has 10 seniors and 17 juniors and all of them are serious about competing at a high level.

To be a captain on a team with such high expectations can be difficult, but the Packers have the right group in place.

“We have the perfect seniors and captains for the job,” Austin head coach Kayla Sellers aid. “They’ve been doing awesome.”

Klein said the captains are more than willing to share their role with their teammates and the Packers have shown good leadership as a group as they prepare for their season opener in Apple Valley Dec. 3.

“I feel like everybody carries the title of captain, because we all take care of each other and we all motivate each other. It’s not us every five seconds,” Klein said. “It’s the girls keeping each other motivated, whether it be a freshman telling a senior ‘good job’ or a senior telling a freshman ‘good job.’”

Hotek said that leadership, along with a lot of experience, has kept the Packers on task.

“We came in preconditioned with what we do, so that’s going to help with our goal,” she said. “We’ve beaten some of the top teams in the state in the past. It’s been very close at state.”

The Packers have made some changes to their routine this year as they’re trying to be effective in a more subtle fashion. After having performances that were very attention grabbing in past years, Austin is going to tug at the heart strings a little this season.

“In the past we’ve had more scary dances and it’s been theatrical. This year it’s more of a feeling,” Thorpe said.

Thorpe said the emotion has been doubled in the dance for all of the seniors who will be competing in their final season.

“When we first listened to the music it kind of hit all of us that it’s our last song and it’s the last music we’re going to dance to,” Thorpe said.