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Bronco spirit, Bronco champions

Boise State Mane Line dancers biting their medals and posing with trophy on the beach.

The Boise State Mane Line Dancers just brought home two national championships from the 2025 National Dance Alliance competition in Daytona Beach, Florida. The team won first place in both jazz and hip hop in the top division, D1A.

Head coach Kelsey Messer (BBA, general business and human resource management, 2015) has led the university’s Spirit Squad since 2019, overseeing the dance, cheer and mascot programs. Messer knows this world inside and out — she cheered for Boise State as an undergrad before stepping into the coach’s role. Messer grew up in Enumclaw, Washington. When she isn’t coaching, she is director of human resources for Albertsons Companies.

We caught up with her to share 10 things you might not know about the champion Mane Line Dancers:

Kelsey Messer posing with two trophies on the beach
  1. The numbers tell the story. The team supports Boise State men’s and women’s teams at more than 80 home and away games each year and during post-season competitions.
  2. The team loves its community and the Broncos. The dancers attend over 100 events to promote Bronco spirit and represent Boise State Athletics – everything from business grand openings to retirement parties to kids’ birthday celebrations.
  3. The team’s schedule is intense. With game-day practice, competition prep, weight lifting and ballet training, the dance team logs more than14 hours a week. “And that doesn’t even count game time,” Messer added.
  4. At the Daytona competition, the winning teams share a tradition of running into the ocean in full uniform. The Mane Line Dancers had finished strong in previous competitions but hadn’t taken home the crown. “For years, we joked that we wanted to win in Florida and be ‘soaked to the socks,’ Messer said. The dream came true in 2025. After winning their national titles, the team, including Messer, held hands and sprinted into the waves.
  5. The team works with nationally recognized, championship-winning choreographers and consultants. James Silvas, a performance mindset coach, shared a key lesson the team has taken to heart: “You’re not as tired as you think you are. When you think you’ve worked your body and mind to their limits, you still have 40% of your strength in reserve.”
  6. The team lives by this motto: Nothing to lose, everything to gain.
  7. Most team members come to Boise State with around 15 years of competitive dance experience. “Competing nationally is something they have trained for since they were kids,” Messer said. “What the community sees when they perform doesn’t even represent 10% of what they know how to do.”
  8. In Daytona, the dancers left no room for doubt. “For the past few years, our goal has been to be undeniable,” Messer said. “After our jazz finals, after going in in second place, we felt we had achieved that.” In hip hop, the team went into finals in first place, which brought a whole new level of pressure. “We had a small mistake in one lift, but the dancers masked it and the rest of our routine was so strong. We left the floor knowing we had done our job,” Messer said.
  9. Houston and Lamar powered the big win. At the national competition, the team danced to Whitney Houston’s live version of “I Will Always Love You” for its jazz routine. For the hip hop performance, the team chose a mix by Kendrick Lamar.
  10. The Mane Line Dancers’ season never stops. In 2025, tryouts for next year’s team began days after the team’s year-end banquet. “We play hard and we work hard,” Messer said. “I’m so fortunate and grateful to be able to lead this team.”