GISH Names LaBenz Head Dance Coach for 2026-27

GRAND ISLAND (Neb.) — The upcoming season will be a proud homecoming for the GISH Islandaire Dance Team. 

Grand Island Senior High (GISH) is pleased to share Miss Americas LaBenz has been named the GISH Head Dance Coach for the 2026-27 season. 

She will be taking over for Kelby Mayfield, who has resigned to pursue a teaching position with another school district.  

LaBenz brings nineteen years of dancing experience to the Islandaires program. Currently, she serves as an instructor, choreographer, and coach of the award-winning team at The Dance Company in Grand Island.  Most notably, Coach LaBenz brings a strong history with the GISH Dance program where she served as a three-year dance captain as a student athlete for the Islandaires (2019-2022).  While serving as Islandaires Captain she also earned a dancer of the year finalist nomination, earned All-American status three times, and helped lead the squad to a 2nd place finish at the NCA State Dance Championships in 2022. 

Excited to return to the Islandaires, LaBanz is ready to make a statement with the dance team. 

"Hi Islander nation! I’m so excited to be back but now on the other side of things!” LaBenz shared. “Dance is a huge part of my life. I’m looking forward to pushing this team to new heights and all of the opportunities along the way. Here’s to a new chapter, it is so wonderful to be back wearing the purple and gold!” 

Chris Ladwig, GISH Activities Director, affirmed the move to bring LaBenz in to lead the Islandaires Dance Team she once captained as a student athlete. 

“I am excited to welcome Coach LaBenz back to Islander Nation.” Ladwig said, “Her passion for dance and competition is evident when you talk with her. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the program that will continue to grow our Islandaire program. Her experiences will help our student-athletes continue to build on the Islander Way values that we have already established.”

As Coach LaBenz steps into her new role, GISH will be scheduling opportunities for staff, students, and families to connect with her before the 2026-27 school year.