MAKING THE CUT 

After being accepted to Penn State, Gray traveled to University Park in March to audition for the Lionettes Dance Team, best known for its on-field performances at home football games. “Auditions are a high-stress moment, and everyone is anxious about making the team,” he says. Shortly after tryouts, Gray was offered a roster spot—becoming the first male student to make the team in the club’s 30-plus years.

HIS STORY IS HISTORY 

The 19-year-old is both excited and grateful that Jackie Hovis ’23 Bus, the Lionettes’ head coach, trusted him with this opportunity: “It’s definitely not something that is given away freely. Hopefully, we can continue to build on top of the team’s legacy.”  

LEAVING IMPRESSIONS 

In addition to practicing contemporary/lyrical jazz and hip-hop, Gray is trained in ballet, which helps to fine-tune fundamentals such as alignment, position, and movements. As a performer, he’s known for his strength and confidence: precise jumps, dizzying turns, and hard-hitting routines. Gray credits his coaches at Intensity Dance Academy in Mars, Pa., a program he’s participated in since he was 11, for his development as an athlete.

 

THE RIGHT FIT 

Gray is already impressed by the team’s chemistry, character, and sense of community. “I really like how the dance team presents itself on stage,” he says. “They are always united and find some sort of feeling to emote whenever they’re performing.”

HERE TO COMPETE 

While Gray, an economics major, was excited for the team’s game-day performances at Beaver Stadium, he’s laser-focused on battling at the Universal Dance Association College National Championship in Orlando, Fla., in January—it’s at this prestigious tournament where he watched the 2026 Lionettes on stage and decided he wanted to pursue making the team in college.