DAVENPORT, IOWA - Dickinson State turned in a strong two-round performance at the St. Ambrose Fighting Bee Classic, highlighted by a first-place finish in the opening round and a runner-up in the second round. 

The competition featured two rounds of scoring, with final placements determined by combined totals. In Round 1, the Blue Hawks led the field with a 96.00, finishing ahead of St. Ambrose (91.75) and William Penn (81.65). Grand View (79.55), Culver-Stockton (73.45) and Mount Mercy (69.50) rounded out the standings. 

Dickinson State followed with a 95.01 in Round 2, placing second in the final session behind St. Ambrose's 96.56. William Penn finished third at 86.95, followed by Culver-Stockton (81.06), Grand View (80.95) and Mount Mercy (76.60). 

The Blue Hawks' two-round total of 191.01 secured the highest average score across both rounds. Dickinson State placed first in Round 1, second in Round 2 and finished just ahead host St. Ambrose in the final standings.

Head coach Cebe Schneider credited the team's preparation and focus throughout the week.

"It was an intense week of practice leading up to our trip," Schneider said. "Because we hadn't hit every element of our routine at a competition yet, we felt we had something to prove — to ourselves, to our school, and beyond. The team rallied and delivered two excellent performances, earning our two strongest scores of the season.

"We really focused on mindset and when the team hit the mat they were focused on all glory to God. Competing back-to-back routines on the same day is grueling, and I couldn't be more proud of our athletes, as well as the other teams who competed. With some of the best teams in the nation in attendance, it was especially exciting to place first in round one, second in round two, and finish with the highest average score overall."

With consistent execution across both rounds and season-best scores, the Blue Hawks will continue their momentum to American Midwest Conference Championships on March 6th- 7th to Columbia, Missouri.