The Austin Packer dance team will get the rare chance to showcase what it has in front of its home crowd when they host the Big Nine Meet in Packer Gym at noon on Saturday.

It is the first time in a decade that Austin is hosting the conference meet and the team is looking forward to the opportunity to compete at home.

“Having a meet in our own gym means that going into this competition there will be no unknowns, as we have practiced in Packer Gym before,” said junior captain Briella Wempner. “It gives us just a little extra confidence knowing that we are in our home gym, and I can’t wait to see our fans going crazy in our home bleachers. Competing on our own floor will be a new experience for all of us, and we are so excited.”

The jazz competition will begin at noon, high kick will take place at 2:15 p.m. and the awards ceremony will take place at 3:45 p.m.

The Packers will compete at approximately 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The Packers, who usually compete in the Twin Cities, are hoping to use the home meet to improve their performance and work out any trouble spots.

“Our biggest goal is to push harder than we ever have before and to apply everything we do at practice,” Austin senior captain Kaitlyn Goligowski said. “We need to think constantly about what comes next and apply corrections.”

The Packers are coming off the Bell Plaine Invite, where they took first in high kick and third in jazz over the weekend.

The Section 1A Meet will be held in Faribault on Feb. 8.