Former Tommie dancer Morgan McGowan is returning to St. Thomas as the new assistant dance team coach for the 2018-2019 season.

During her five years on the team, McGowan was a three-year dance team captain and won six national championships.

“There is something so amazing about the program,” McGowan said. “I think that since I was a part of [the team] I can really relate to the dancers because I have been in their shoes.”

With eight rookies, a new head coach and new assistant coach, senior Kenzie Davidge said that she is interested to see how the next season will all play out.

“I’m excited to start practices and shape our team,” Davidge said. “We are all so great and we all have strong suits and I am excited to blend them all together and creating that bond that will take us through the season.”

After 14 years of coaching more than 100 dancers, former St. Thomas dance team head coach Alysia Ulfers stepped down and passed her position to former assistant coach Julia Randall.

Randall was also a Tommie dancer and will be working alongside McGowan.

McGowan said that her experience with Randall will make this upcoming season the best yet.

“What makes our relationship so special is we were teammates for two years, and then she was my coach for two years, and now I get to coach alongside her,” McGowan said. “I have been able to experience every possible combination with her.”

She said she is excited to continue her time at the university with someone who is so close to her.

“It brought me from being a best friend to learning to respect her to now being a coworker,” McGowan said.

With two Tommie alumnae leading the team, Davidge said that it will benefit the program in the long run.

“I think if anything, it is going to make practices smoother,” Davidge said. “Being on the team gives them experience in a different sense where they know how things have gone in the past and they know the frustrations but also what has worked very well.”

McGowan said that their ability to use past experiences will set the team apart from others and will allow them to apply their passions first-hand.

“We aren’t doing it as a job but we are doing it because we love it and everyone on the team,” McGowan said. “It means so much to us. We are extremely invested and this is kind of like our child.”

Ava Diaz can be reached at diaz7981@stthomas.edu.