GLENVILLE, W.Va. – Glenville State Director of Athletics Jesse Skiles has announced the hiring of Sydney Naughton for GSU's brand-new program, Competitive Dance.

Naughton, a Pittsburgh, Pa. native, was recently the dance coach with the Pittsburgh Poison All-Stars. She was a dance major at the Pittsburgh Creative and Performance Arts School, which would eventually lead her competing at the USASF Dance Worlds and winning three bronze medals in the hip hop division.

"I feel so lucky and blessed to be chosen as the Head Coach for the first Dance program here at Glenville State. The vision that I have for this program is something special, from increasing the excitement of the game day atmosphere for our student-athletes and fans to also being competitive on our own at the UDA College Nationals" said Naughton.

With the hire of Naughton, she plans to focus on sideline entertainment and the halftime show during games using a mix of styles like jazz, pom and hip hop. At UDA Nationals, the team will be competing in the open hip hop division.

"We are excited to add a Dance Team to our Athletic Department starting next year" said Skiles. "This is something that has enhanced several institutions in the region and we have been discussing with Dr. Manchin for a few years. With Coach Naughton, we have a graduate from the Pittsburgh Creative and Performance Arts School as a Dance Major, with a lot of contacts in that discipline."
 
Naughton will take the 2024-25 academic year to recruit scholarship athletes to the program with 2025-26 marking the first year of competition.

To learn more about competitive dance and keep with the news surrounding GSU's newest program, follow @gsu_dance on Instagram.