On first thought, it doesn’t get much better than the dance team. The moves, the swagger and the confidence are things you don’t see from many teams.

And when Sports Editor Tanner Kroeger brought forth the idea of dueling columns, I didn’t want to write against the dance team. I mean, who would?

That night I went home and started to think about the differences between the two. And I came to a stunning conclusion — the cheerleaders bring tradition and athleticism unlike the dance team. Not only that, they risk injury and they all bounce back.

Torn ACL. Broken nose. Sprained ankles. Sprained wrists. Surgeries. All within the past year.

And it’s not because they aren’t talented. In the past five seasons, N.C. State has finished near the top every year; second place last year and a first-place finish in 2001.

They have more team National Championships in the past six years than all of the other varsity sports combined.

The only school nationally recognized as more of a powerhouse in cheerleading would be Louisville. So, in basketball terms, our cheerleading squad is comparable to Duke — continued top finishes with one national championship since the year 2001. Not bad.

Once again, don’t get me wrong — I enjoy the dance team. They are impressive and provide a great deal of entertainment to many college students, so much entertainment, that some guys would say they enjoy the dance team more than our football team. And it’s a good year to jump on the bandwagon.

But they just don’t do some of the things cheerleaders can. To be a part of the dance team, you don’t have to be a full-time student. Take a PE class and join. Cheerleaders — not so fast.

Also, the dance team doesn’t leave the ground.

The cheerleaders reach upward of 20 feet in the air. They get in pyramids that are scary to look at, but they still find a way to hold up letters and start a cheer.

Many of them are gymnastic stars, but chose to be cheerleaders. Some could collegiately be part of a college gymnastics team but chose to cheer for the Wolfpack.

The dance team shakes their pom-poms, gets on the floor and even had Herb Sendek’s daughter as part of the team. What a nice gesture.

But you won’t see them doing a round-off, whip, handspring, handspring, whip, kick full (what?) in front of 57,000 people.

Nor will you find any guys who can bench press more than Marcus Stone on the dance team. But you might on the cheerleading squad.

Along with the talent, the work ethic of the cheerleaders is amazing. They practice three days a week along with workouts two days a week. They also practice during the holiday breaks. Don’t forget games.

Also, they are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA or they are sent to the study hall.

And lastly, traditions.

They have always been there. Ever since the beginning, they have been there for every major sporting event, and many of the nonmajor events. They still have traditions from the beginning.

Back in the day, they all wore bright-red lipstick to cheer for the Pack so that fans high up in the stands could see them — today, they still do. They also invented the Wolf Wall, which is commonly seen today.

So on second thought, give me the cheerleaders. But I’m happy with both.