On a rainy and snowy afternoon near the end of the football season this past fall, Rochelle Township High School graduate Tatianna Contreras and members of the North Central College dance team continued giving their all while the eventual Division III champion Cardinals dominated on the gridiron, cruising to a 42-14 home victory over Augustana College.

The winter weather performance was one of the fondest memories Contreras recounted when reflecting on her freshman season with the North Central dance program. Despite some early adjustments, Contreras said she enjoyed learning new routines and performing during football games, where hundreds, if not thousands of Cardinal fans were in attendance.

“My first season with the North Central College dance team was amazing,” Contreras said. “I had the opportunity to meet new friends and continue doing what I love. I enjoyed performing in front of fans at our football games… One of the hardest adjustments between high school and college was that we didn’t have a coach for the first few months of the season. We also learned all of our routines at once and we perfected them throughout the season.”

Contreras arrived on the North Central College campus as a two-time IHSA State Championship qualifier with the Lady Hubs. The perennial Academic All-Conference honoree, who’s currently studying for an associate’s degree in science before entering the nursing program and pursuing a career as a registered nurse, said she’s already hard at work preparing for next season.

“One thing I’ll never forget about this season was when it was one of our last football games, it was snowing and raining and we still went out on the field and gave our all,” Contreras said. “This year, I feel that I improved on simply not giving up and learning to try new styles of dance. I would like to continue getting better with my technique.”