Best Cheer Gyms in South Dakota
South Dakota's top all-star cheer programs, ranked by 2025-26 banners and podium finishes.
South Dakota has a compact all-star cheer scene, with four gyms earning a spot in our 2025-26 rankings of the best cheer gyms in South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the clear center of gravity, home to three of the four ranked programs, while Brookings rounds out the map. Dakota Spirit leads the state at #1 with 58 banners, a total that puts real distance between it and the rest of the field.
These rankings come from actual 2025-26 season results: banners count first-place finishes in finals, and podiums count top-3 finishes. For a smaller state, South Dakota produces a steady volume of scored results, and the gaps between programs are easy to see in the numbers.
Map of the Top Cheer Gyms in South Dakota
Some ranked gyms are not shown on the map because we don't have a verified location for them yet.
2025-26 South Dakota Cheer Gym Rankings
| Rank | Gym | City | Banners | Podiums | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DADakota Spirit | Sioux Falls | 64 | 84 | 12 |
| 2 | KCKCK Wildfire | Brookings | 8 | 16 | 5 |
| 3 | AMAmerican Cheer Elite | Sioux Falls | 5 | 12 | 6 |
| 4 | ULUltimate Dance & Cheer | Sioux Falls | 5 | 12 | 3 |
| 5 | V.V.I.P. Cheer | North Sioux City | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | POPower & Grace Wildcats Cheer | Sioux Falls | 0 | 2 | 3 |
The Top 6 Cheer Gyms in South Dakota
1. Dakota Spirit
Dakota Spirit in Sioux Falls tops the state with 58 banners and 77 podiums in 2025-26, more than the other three ranked gyms combined. The program fields 11 teams across a wide range, from Level 1 through Level 5, including several half-year divisions. It also holds 4 all-time NCA titles, the only South Dakota gym in our database with national championship hardware.
2. KCK Wildfire
KCK Wildfire is the lone ranked program outside Sioux Falls, competing out of Brookings. The gym posted 8 banners and 16 podiums this season with 5 teams spanning Levels 1 through 4. That podium-to-banner ratio shows a program consistently landing in the top 3 even when it does not take the win.
3. American Cheer Elite
American Cheer Elite, based in Sioux Falls, sits at #3 with 5 banners and 12 podiums in 2025-26. Its 6 teams cover Levels 2 through 4, including L2.1 and L4.2 divisions, giving it one of the broader mid-level lineups in the state.
4. Ultimate Dance & Cheer
Ultimate Dance & Cheer rounds out the South Dakota rankings at #4 from Sioux Falls. The program matched American Cheer Elite with 5 banners and 12 podiums, doing it with a leaner roster of 3 teams at Levels 1, 2, and 4. On a per-team basis, that is one of the more efficient results sheets in the state.
5. V.I.P. Cheer
V.I.P. Cheer, based in North Sioux City, ranks #5 among South Dakota all-star cheer gyms for the 2025-26 season. The program is a consistent presence on South Dakota competition floors. Teams from V.I.P. Cheer earned 4 podium finishes on the season. The gym fielded 4 competitive teams spanning Levels 1 through 3.
6. Power & Grace Wildcats Cheer
Power & Grace Wildcats Cheer, based in Sioux Falls, ranks #6 among South Dakota all-star cheer gyms for the 2025-26 season. The program is a consistent presence on South Dakota competition floors. Teams from Power & Grace Wildcats Cheer earned 2 podium finishes on the season. The gym fielded 3 competitive teams spanning Levels 1 through 3.
Other All-Star Cheer Gyms in South Dakota
Beyond the ranked programs above, FullOut tracks these South Dakota all-star gyms.
How These Rankings Work
FullOut ranks South Dakota cheer gyms using real competition results, not reputation or reviews. A banner is a first-place finish in a finals round. A podium is a top-three finish. Every banner and podium earned by a gym's teams counts toward its ranking: banners order the list, and podiums break ties.
These rankings cover All Star Cheer divisions (Levels 1 through 7) during the 2025-26 season, which runs July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Results come from publicly available scoresheets and live results in FullOut's competition database, which tracks thousands of events across the country.
A gym's ranking reflects how often its teams won, not how big the program is. Team counts and levels are shown for context.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheer gym in South Dakota?
Dakota Spirit in Sioux Falls tops FullOut's 2025-26 rankings for South Dakota, with 64 event titles and 84 podium finishes across the season.
How many all-star cheer gyms are in South Dakota?
FullOut tracks 8 all-star cheer programs in South Dakota. 6 of them earned at least one podium finish during the 2025-26 season.
How are South Dakota cheer gym rankings calculated?
Rankings count banners (first-place finishes in finals rounds) and podiums (top-three finishes) earned by each gym's teams in All Star Cheer Levels 1 through 7 during the 2025-26 season (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026), using publicly available competition results in FullOut's database. Banners rank first; podiums break ties.
Which South Dakota cheer gyms won the most banners in 2025-26?
Dakota Spirit (64), KCK Wildfire (8), American Cheer Elite (5) led South Dakota in banners during the 2025-26 season.