Elle Rammelsberg, of Cedar Rapids Kennedy; captured second place in Dance Solo Class XI while Ava Sackett, of Cedar Rapids Washington, claimed third place in Class IX on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, as the top 10 placewinners in Classes VI-XII were announced at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association state meet in Des Moines.

Pleasant Valley’s Mara Quam won the Ckass XI title, while champion Katie Howard, of Dallas Center-Grimes, and runner-up Ella Veen, of Norwalk, finished ahead of Sackett.

In addition, Carsynn Lang, of Cedar Rapids Prairie, earned fourth-place honors in Class XI; Cedar Rapids Xavier teammates Olivia Neal and Peyton Kensinger took fourth and fifth, respectively, in Class VII; and Solon’s Sydney Schmooke placed fifth in Class VI.

Other placewinners included Western Dubuque’s SDadie Erion (fourth in Class IX), Kennedy’s Megan Trudo (seventh, Class XI), Linn-Mar’s Brooklynn Taylor (eighth Class XII), Iowa City Liberty’s Aly Farrell (eighth, Class X), Solon’s Zoey Zoske (ninth, Class VI), and Xavier’s Clairre Regennitter (10th, Class VII).

Champions in Classes VI-XII (awards for Classes I-V were made Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025) were: Dubuque Wahlert Catholic’s Carsyn Gehl (Class VI), Ballard’s Logan Till (Class VII), Boone’s Piper Klein (Class VIII), Dallas Center-Grimes’ Katie Howard (Class IX), West Des Moines Dowling Catholic’s Claire Southard (Class X), Quam (Class XI) and Ankeny’s Isla May (Class XII).

Before the awards were handed out, three individuals gave Beyond Limits performances in front of the crowd at Casey’s Center. One of them was Shelby Kurth, of Marion.

According to the ISDTA website: “During Championship week, we invite our dancers with super-abilities to showcase their talents as part of our Beyond Limits program. These dancers are awarded and celebrated alongside their teammates.

Mara Quam (left), of Pleasant Valley High School, reacts when realizing she is the state champion in Dance Solo Class XI after hearing the name of Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Elle Rammelsberg (right) announced as the runner-up Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Casey's Center in Des Moines. (Jon Gremmels/Cedar Rapids Gazette)

Dance Solo Class VIII champion Piper Klein (right), of Boone, is joined by the top 10 placewinners in the class at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association awards ceremony Friday aftermoon at Casey's Center in Des Moines. The placewinners are, from left,

Dance Solo Class VI champion Carsyn Gehl (right) of Dubuque Wahlert Catholic is joined by the top 10 placewinners at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association awards ceremony Friday aftermoon at Casey's Arena in Des Moines. The placewinners are, from left, Maci Berlau (10th), of Carroll; Zoey Zoske (ninth), of Solon; Sylvie O'Byrne (eighth), of Des Moines Christian; Ainsley Wright (seventh), of Davenport Assumption; Eva Rigopoulos (sixth), of Wahlert Catholic; Sydney Schmooke (fifth), of Solon; BriElle Geisler (fourth), of Wahlert Catholic; Ava Kloppe (third), of Des Moines Christian; Kiley Elliott (second), of Wahlert Catholic; and Gehl.

Dance Solo Class XII champion isla May, of Ankeny, is joined by the top 10 placewinners in the class at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association awards ceremony Friday aftermoon at Casey's Center in Des Moines. The placewinners are, from left, Caitlin Alleman (10th), of Ankeny; Ella Varley (ninth), of Waukee Northwest; Brooklyn Taylor (eighth), of Linn-Mar; Lia Capobianco (seventh), of Waukee Northwest; Emily Timmerman (sixth), of Waukee Northwest; Marcella Gliwa (fifth), of Ankeny; Grace Burr (fourth), of Waukee Northwest; Leah Loeffelholz (third), of Waukee; Kennedy Nielsen (second), of Ankeny Centennial; and May.

Dance Solo Class IX champion Katie Howard (right), of Dallas Center-Grimes,, is joined by the top 10 placewinners in the class at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association awards ceremony Friday aftermoon at Casey's Center in Des Moines. The placewinners are, from left, Payten Woody (10th) of Norwalk; Makynli Bolles (ninth), of North Scott; Jordy Norman (eighth), of Norwalk; Brooklyn Perkins (seventh) of Council Bluffs Lewis Central; Camdyn Strom (sixth), of North Scott; Marin Robertson (fifth), of North Scott; Sadie Erion (fourth) of Western Dubuque; Ava Sackett (third) of Cedar Rapids Washington; Ella Veen (second), of Norwalk; and Howard.

Dance Solo Class XI champion Mara Quam (right), of Pleasant Valley, is joined by the top 10 placewinners in the class at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association awards ceremony Friday aftermoon at Casey's Center in Des Moines. The placewinners are, from left, Maicey Munn (10th), of Pleasant Valley; Maddy Schmit (ninth), of Marshalltown; Morgan Schutte (eighth), of Pleasant Valley; Megan Trudo (seventh), of Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Aida Kaffenberger (sixth), of Pleasant Valley; Grace Gullickson (fifth), of Pleasant Valley; Carsynn Lang (fourth), of Cedar Rapids Prairie; Maliyah Metcalf (third), of Pleasant Valley; Elle Rammelsberg (second), of Kennedy; and Quam.

Dance Solo Class VII champion Logan Till (ight), of Ballard, is joined by the top 10 placewinners in the class at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association awards ceremony Friday aftermoon at Casey's Center in Des Moines. The placewinners are, from left, Clairre Regennitter (10th), of Cedar Rapids Xavier; Olivia Mikell (ninth) of Wilton; Sophie Whitcomb (eighth), of Sioux City Bishop Heelan; Brooklyn Frantz (seventh), of Wilton; Elin Watson (sixth), of Ballard; Peyton Kensinger (fifth), of Xavier; Olivia Neal (fourth), of Xavier; Marley Ali (third), of North Polk; Diana Trigg (second) of Sioux Cente;r; .and Till.

Dance Solo Class X champion Claire Southard (right), of West Des Moines Dowling Catholic, is joined by the top 10 placewinners in the class at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association awards ceremony Friday aftermoon at Casey's Center in Des Moines. The placewinners are, from left, Taylor O'Connor (10th), of Dowling Catholic; Wrigley Mancha (ninth), of Davenport Central; Aly Farrell (eighth), of Iowa City Liberty; Katelynn Larson (seventh), of Dowling Catholic; Shelby Augspurger (sixth), of Urbandale; Keith Wright (fifth), of Davenport Central; Matilda Mancha (fourth), of Davenport Central; Brooklyn O'Connor (third), of Dowling Catholic; Brooklyn Coen (second) of Dowling Catholic; and Southard.

Shelby Kurth, of Marion, performs her Beyond Limits routine during the awards ceremony of the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association state meet Friday afternoon, Dec. 5, 2025, at Casey's Center in Des Moines. (Jon Gremmels/Cedar Rapids Gazette)

Shelby Kurth (center), of Marion, receives her Beyond Limits medal from Andrea Dana (right), executive director of the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association state meet Friday in Des Moines. (Jon Gremmels/Cedar Rapids Gazette)

Shelby Kurth (center), of Marion, listens to the applause after performing her Beyond Limits routine Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association state meet in Des Moines. (Jon Gremmels/Cedar Rapids Gazette)

Photos in this gallery are available for purchase, both print and digital download for personal use. Click the image, then click the 'buy photo' button to view options and pricing.