Vogt To Dance At Missouri Baptist

Emma Vogt signs to become a part of Spartan Line, the pom and dance team at Missouri Baptist University. Emma is sitting between her parents James and Christy Vogt. Standing is NCHS Principal Mark Begando, NCHS Stingers Coach Carly Middleton, NCHS Athletic Director Alicia Heggemeier, and Tess Boyer, Director of Spirit and Community Relations at Missouri Baptist University.
By Brent Huelsmann
NCHS student Emma Vogt, and member of the NCHS Stingers team will continue to dance after graduation. Vogt signed to be a part of the dance team at Missouri Baptist University this past week. Vogt is the seventh senior to sign a scholarship during the 2017-18 school year.
The Missouri Baptist Dance team, the Spartan Line, is coached by Lizzy Ward.  The Spartan Line has competed three times already in 2018 and will round out their 2018 schedule with the NAIA Cheer and Dance Regionals on February 23 at Lindenwood Belleville, and could advance to the NAIA National Championship March 9-11.
Vogt says she chose Missouri Baptist because “I chose Missouri Baptist because the environment is just so nice to be around. You just go there and it feels like home. Like I went there and was like this is where I need to be. I knew once I got there, I wanted to dance there for four years. The dance team is super awesome. I went to dance tryouts and I loved every one of the girls the first time I met them, and the coaches are unbelievable, they support you more than anybody that I’ve ever known and I’m really excited to dance for them.”
Vogt added that she has always wanted to continue dancing after high school. “I tried out the very beginning of the year at Missouri Baptist and I loved dancing since I was in sixth grade and I knew I wanted to pursue it. That’s what I’ve always done and I couldn’t imagine four more years of school without it. I just really knew that is what I wanted to do.”
Vogt has enjoyed a great career with the NCHS Stingers, and this season has been no different. Vogt helped lead the Stingers to the IHSA State Dance Final. The Stingers finished sixth in the Mascoutah Regional to advance to State. This past week the Stingers finished second in their last regional of the season in Highland. The Stingers will compete at IDTA State on February 10. Vogt will compete in the State Dance Solo Division on February 9. In 2017 Vogt was a part of the Stingers team that finished second in the IDTA Jazz Competition.
As the signing got close, Vogt said she was counting down the hours. “I was actually counting down the hours to the signing. I just wanted it all to be done. I wouldn’t have to make any more decisions and have everything figured out.”
Tess Boyer, who is the Director of Spirit and Community Relations at Missouri Baptist University, talked about what Vogt brings to the Spartan Line program. “I’m so excited for Emma to be a part of Spartan Line. She is actually our first member of the 18-19 year. Our girls on the squad are through the roof with excitement. She is not only a talented, talented dancer, but she is a phenomenal young woman, and I cannot wait for her to grow at Missouri Baptist University as a dancer and also as a young female in Christ. I look forward to mentoring her and coaching her, teaching her new skills, honing her old skills, and I feel like we are well on our way to Nationals with Emma on our team next year.”
Stingers coach Carly Middleton also talked about what Vogt will bring to the program. “They are getting someone who is hardworking, dedicated, and a great leader, so she’ll be a great member to their team.”
As for what Vogt has meant to the Stingers squad, Middleton said, “Emma has been a tremendous help over the past three years that I have been coaching. I’ve known Emma ever since she was little, she has been an excellent leader, friend and role model to the girls.”
As for what Vogt will need to adjust too at the next level, Boyer mentioned just gelling with the other girls in the program. “I probably say the biggest thing with any recruit is to kind of morph into the team that we already have. I think that Emma is probably used to dancing at Nashville, which is very easy with your squad for four years, and it’s kind of difficult to walk into a collegiate program and be able to dance like the other girls but I have no doubt in my mind that she will come alongside of that and be one of the stars of the show. So I’m really really looking forward to teaching her that and watching her become a Spartan Line dancer.”
Vogt will leave NCHS with a lot of memories, but one stands out. “My favorite memory of dancing was winning second place at State with all my girls. I love my team. I have the best team in the entire world. They are some of the most supportive people I know, and I can’t wait to hopefully win this year. We have a really good shot of getting there.” Vogt then added, “I think I’ll miss my team the most. I love all my girls and it’s gonna be weird to dance for a different team but I’m really excited to do that.”
Vogt plans to study either business administration or management at Missouri Baptist. “I’m going to go into business and see where that leads me. I kind of want to be a real estate agent so maybe a minor in entrepreneurship.”