Oskaloosa--William Penn University Athletics Director Mike Laird is proud to announce the addition of competitive dance to the University's athletic programs. The program will become Penn's 17th scholarship-awarding sport, joining baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. "We are very excited about adding competitive dance to our athletic programs," Laird said. "This will help us immensely with our student recruitment and retention efforts. As one of the few schools in our conference to have competitive dance, we feel it will be a very successful program and will be very positive for Penn." Laird has already named the first coach of the competitive dance program as Jenni Gatton. Gatton has over eight years of dance training, including five years as coach of the Oskaloosa High School Dance and Drill Team. She has choreographed several styles, including Jazz, Hip/Hop, Pom, and Lyrical. At Oskaloosa High, Gatton's squads have received Division I and II ratings at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Competition. Several team members have been named to the All-Iowa Honor Drill Team. "I am very excited to be able to help initiate the women's dance team here at Penn," Gatton said. "I have always loved dance and by enjoying dance myself, it helps me to enjoy sharing it with others. Dance is about expression and I hope to express great pride in our team and our college with every performance." "We are very happy to have Jenni on board at Penn," Laird said. "With her great area connections and dance experience, it should be exciting to see what she can do with our program." Penn becomes just the fourth Midwest Classic Conference institution to include competitive dance. Grand View, St. Ambrose, and Waldorf are the others. The competitive dance season will run through the fall and winter seasons. During that time, the team will perform at many home events and will travel to some competitions throughout the year. Gatton is already trying to imagine what her first year will be like with the new program. "The first year will be very experimental for myself and the squad," Gatton said. "I hope to bring quality entertainment to each game, while also beginning to structure the team for competitions." Although Penn will have to address several first-year issues, Gatton feels the team will be very competitive from day one. "Putting together a college team is a huge task, but I know I have a great base to start from," Gatton said. "No matter what obstacle we face, we will overcome it. Each year will add more interest to the dance team and make the William Penn Dance Team a highly successful program for many years to come." For more information on the Penn competitive dance team, contact Jenni Gatton by phone at 641-780-2222 or by email at gattonj@wmpenn.edu