For McKenna Cunningham, the path to collegiate athletics did not begin with scholarship offers or high-pressure recruiting calls. Instead, it was built through years of careful planning, honest self-reflection and a lifelong love of dance that ultimately led her to find the right fit at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she will continue her journey as a member of the university’s pom team.
As Cunningham prepares to begin college this fall, the moment still feels surreal.
After years spent balancing competition dance, school responsibilities, performances and planning for the future, she now finds herself stepping into a new chapter — one that combines school spirit, athletics, community involvement and the activity that has shaped most of her life.
Unlike many traditional collegiate sports recruiting experiences, collegiate dance follows a different process depending on the program. Some schools emphasize competition and technical performance at an elite level, while others focus more heavily on game-day experiences, campus involvement and community connection.
Cunningham knew early on what she wanted.
“Every school and every dance program has a different process,” Cunningham explained. “Some focus on competition and technique and being really hardcore dancers. Other teams focus more on school spirit and game day.”
After evaluating what she wanted from her college experience, Cunningham intentionally focused her search.
She wanted to continue dancing — but she also wanted balance.
“I knew I wanted to dance in college,” she said. “But I wanted to be realistic. I didn’t want to do a competition team. I wanted to focus more on community, game day experience and just the school in general.”
That decision became one of the biggest reasons she chose UNR.
Cunningham approached the process thoughtfully throughout her junior year, attending dance clinics and exploring programs across multiple states to determine where she fit best.
She visited schools throughout Arizona and explored opportunities in other regions as well, using each experience as a chance to learn more about different team cultures and expectations.
“I just tried everything,” she said. “Some I really loved and some I didn’t.”
By the time application season arrived, Cunningham cast a wide net academically, applying to approximately 11 colleges.
She was accepted into every school she applied to.
But acceptance alone was not enough.
Cunningham said she wanted to make a decision that made sense not only emotionally but financially and personally.
Some of the schools she considered carried costs that simply did not align with the future she envisioned.
“As much as I loved the dance scene at some of the schools, it just wasn’t realistic,” she said. “I had to narrow things down and think long-term.”
Eventually, that process brought her down to two dance tryouts — and ultimately one decision.
UNR stood out.
Not only did the university align with her goals academically and financially, but she said the environment immediately felt different.
“Now that I made the UNR dance team, I’m so happy with my choice,” Cunningham said. “I felt so much more supported and loved by the UNR dance team than I did anywhere else. I felt like I was already part of the team.”
That sense of belonging became one of the defining moments in her decision.
At UNR, Cunningham earned a spot on the university’s pom team — one of four spirit teams that support Wolf Pack athletics.
The pom team performs a variety of dance styles including jazz, hip-hop and pom while representing the university at athletic events and community appearances.
The university’s spirit program also includes cheer, stunt and mascot programs that work together to energize game-day environments.
For Cunningham, it felt familiar.
The style and expectations mirror much of what she has come to love during her high school experience.
She expects to participate in home athletic events across multiple sports and potentially travel for select away opportunities as well.
This summer, preparation begins immediately.
Team members are already expected to document workouts four to five times per week and submit detailed training updates. They will also begin learning sidelines and choreography ahead of summer camp and preseason practices.
Cunningham will report to Reno before the general student population arrives in order to begin team preparation.
The commitment level is significant — but she embraces it.
Her years of dance have prepared her for exactly this.
Dance has been part of Cunningham’s life for nearly as long as she can remember.
She began dancing as a young child and even took private lessons before she was old enough to officially join classes.
For the last nine years, she has trained and competed through Nevada Dance Center, an experience she credits with shaping not only her abilities but who she has become.
“I’ve grown so much with Nevada Dance Center,” she said. “They are the backbone to the person and dancer I am today.”
She also credits her high school experience with helping define her future.
When she entered her sophomore year at Pahrump Valley High School and joined the dance team under Coach Cunningham — her mother — she experienced a shift in focus that introduced her to the aspects of dance she now loves most.
Rather than centering exclusively on competition, the team evolved toward more game-day experiences, community engagement and collegiate-style sideline performance.
That transition changed her perspective.
“That’s what kind of got me into more game day and community-focused events,” Cunningham said.
She specifically wanted to recognize her mother’s impact, saying she has seen firsthand how much the Pahrump Valley High School dance program has grown in recent years.
While acknowledging the foundation that existed before, Cunningham said her mother helped elevate the program and expand opportunities for dancers.
Outside of dance itself, Cunningham said no one has had a bigger influence on her life than her family.
As emotions surfaced while reflecting on her journey, she became visibly moved talking about her parents.
Her father encouraged her to understand that there are many paths to success and that fulfillment matters. Her mother emphasized education and helped guide her toward opportunity.
Together, Cunningham said they never stopped believing in her.
“They’ve been my number one supporters,” she said. “Any crazy dream or idea I’ve had, they’re like, ‘You can do it. We got you. We’re here to support you.’”
She paused to collect herself before adding, “I’m such a lucky daughter. I couldn’t ask for better parents.”
Cunningham also wanted to make sure to recognize Nevada Dance Centre coach Juliette Jones, who she said played a major role in her growth both in and outside of dance.
More than simply being a coach, Cunningham described Jones as someone who became an important mentor during her journey.
“I’m so grateful for her because she was the older sister I didn’t know I needed,” Cunningham said. “Other than my family, she was the first biggest influence in my life.”
Cunningham said Jones helped shape her confidence and provided support during important years of her development, becoming someone she looked up to both personally and as a dancer.
Another major influence in Cunningham’s dance journey has been Nevada Dance Center coach Paris Gerlach.
Cunningham said Gerlach stepped into the studio and transformed not only the environment but her confidence and growth as a performer.
“She’s changed who I am as a dancer,” Cunningham said. “She’s pushed me and I’ve grown so much because of her.”
Cunningham also made sure to mention her younger sister, Kinsley, who she said means the world to her.
“She looks up to me so much,” Cunningham said. “She’s like a little mini version of me. I can’t wait to see what she does when she gets to my age.”
As graduation day arrived and the reality of change finally began to settle in, Cunningham admitted the emotions caught her off guard.
Acceptance letters.
Making the team.
Graduating.
Meeting future roommates.
Preparing to move away.
Each milestone made the transition feel more real.
“It’s all real now,” she said. “I’m supposed to be an adult, but mentally and physically, I still feel like a kid.”
Even with the emotions, excitement continues to outweigh nerves.
Cunningham has already connected with her roommates, looks forward to living on campus and cannot wait to begin building relationships with teammates and experiencing everything college life has to offer.
Most of all, she is excited to dance.
Not because it is the only thing she plans to do — she will study marketing and begin building her future academically as well — but because dance remains the thing that brought her here.
Community.
Experiences.
School spirit.
Connection.
For Cunningham, collegiate athletics was never simply about making a team.
It was about finding a place that felt like home.
And in Reno, she believes she found exactly that.
