VERGENNES — Posting two of its strongest routines of the winter at Saturday’s championship competition at Vergennes Union High School, the Middlebury Union High School dance team finished second in each of its disciplines and third overall by a margin of just 2.75 points.
Mount Mansfield edged South Burlington for the overall title, 480.50-480.25, with the Tigers right behind at 477.75.
Those three teams were head and shoulders above the rest of the field: Colchester took fourth with 449.0, and Burr & Burton (440.0) and Lamoille (423.5) were the only other teams among the 10 competing to break 400 points. Overall scores were determined by combining the scores from the two of the three available disciplines in which teams chose to compete, jazz, hip-hop or pom.
MMU’s win over the Rebels raised some eyebrows, as SBHS defeated MMU head-to-head in jazz, 234.25-230, and the Rebels also won pom, 246-236.25 over the Tigers.
A different panel of judges, however, awarded the Cougars the highest score of the day in hip-hop as they defeated the Tigers, 250.5-241.5.
Even though the Cougars took a first and a second in their disciplines, they edged the double-winning Rebels by 0.25 overall.
It wasn’t the first judging discussion to follow a championship dance event: In 2010, the Tigers lost the overall state championship because of a costume deduction.
The full scores were:
OVERALL: 1. Mt. Mansfield, 480.50; 2. South Burlington, 480.25; 3. Middlebury, 477.75; 4. Colchester, 449.00; 5. Burr & Burton, 440.00; 6. Lamoille, 423.25; 7. Missisquoi, 363.00; 8. Mt. Anthony, 358.50; 9. BFA-St. Albans, 337.50; 10. Springfield, 299.50.
POM: 1. South Burlington, 246.00; 2. Middlebury, 236.25; 3. Burr & Burton, 231.50; 4. Colchester, 229.50; 5. Mt. Anthony, 196.50; 6. Missisquoi, 169.50. 
JAZZ: 1. South Burlington, 234.25; 2. Mt. Mansfield, 230.00; 3. Colchester, 219.50; 4. Lamoille, 198.25; 5. BFA-St. Albans, 167.50; 6. Springfield, 158.50.
HIP-HOP: 1. Mt. Mansfield, 250.50; 2. Middlebury, 241.50; 3. Lamoille, 225.00; 4. Burr & Burton, 208.50; 5. Missisquoi Valley, 193.50; 6. BFA-St. Albans, 170.00; 7. Mt. Anthony, 162.00; 8. Springfield, 141.00.