Sammy Fumagalli Changes Lives, Guides Her Marquette Girls To State Dance Title

ALTON - Sammy Fumagalli has changed lives since she became the Marquette Catholic dance coach in the 2018-2019 school year and this year with her assistant coach Julianne Fears to a Class 1A Illinois Drill Team Association (IDTA) State Championship.

These were her team's finishes in the Class 1A IDTA Competition - 2022:

First Place - Jazz

First Place - Lyrical

First Place - Overall Grand Champions

First Place - High Point Champions

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Sammy said when she started coaching the Marquette dance team four years ago, she had a lot to learn as far as directing the squad. Now, Sammy's girls are the best in the state in their category.

“I was excited to see what God's plan was,” she said. “Throughout the four years, there have been ups and downs. Every setback was a chance to learn and move forward. Every year we got closer and closer as a team and created some amazing memories and friendships."

Marquette Catholic Athletic Director Brian Hoener said he believes Sammy does a great job with the Explorers' girls dance team with her assistant Julianne Fears.

“Sammy is very passionate about our dance program and building a program that can be successful and where the girls can have fun," Hoener said. "It is evident with what she has built with the girls. I couldn’t be happier and more proud of her and the girls. Both of our coaches, Sammy and Julianne, are younger coaches and do a great job relating to our kids. They also help guide the kids through their homework, social life and the girls talk and relate to both her and Juliana about their challenges.”

The Marquette Catholic dance coach makes sure the girls are involved in the community as they participate in festivals, parades, charity events, and special school activities.

With modern technology, Sammy continued to coach the girls after she moved to Austin, Texas, from afar.

“We had a lot going on this year but we made it work…nothing beats practices with me screaming through a laptop on zoom," she said. "No matter what sport you’re familiar with, it’s always admirable when a team attains something great in the midst of so many potential distractions.”

Marquette Catholic Dance Team Is Best In State In Class A Division

For over a decade, Marquette has been highly regarded in statewide competitions. Marquette's last state title was in the 2006 season.

Aligning with the team’s intrinsically competitive nature, not only did they reclaim their position, but they topped it. The title of Grand Champions isn’t a status the team has experienced before, and their coach, Sammy Fumagalli, said it is “amazing.”

The key to this achievement was a combination of structure, dedication, and a strong team bond. Since Fumagalli took on the job four years ago, she’s witnessed these dancers grow in not only their dancing ability but also as young women. She sees the importance of being the dancers’ friend and counselor in conjunction with her duties as a coach. Outside of the studio, many of the dancers maintained close social relationships which strengthened the connection between them and contributed to stronger buy-in across the ranks.

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“Moving into this 2021-2022 year I had a really good feeling," Coach Fumagalli said. "I could see the passion in this team and the talent they had. I knew from the beginning this team was going to do big things. I reminded my girls this all the time because I wanted them to believe it themselves."

The Marquette Catholic dance team girls have worked an entire year for the opportunity to compete in the state, the coach said.

“These girls spend up to 9-10 hours every single week practicing and perfecting routines while still managing to keep up with academics and their personal life,” she added. “They are incredible motivators to each other and have poured a lot into this year."

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