For four years, Lily Milici mastered her craft as a member of the Branford High School dance team, while helping the Hornets claim their fair share of championship gold. Now, Lily is freshman who’s competing at St. John’s University, where she recently helped the Red Storm win first place for the Hip-Hop Division at the Division I Universal Dance Association National Championship.

This year marked Lily’s debut season as a member of the competition dance squad at St. John’s, which is located in the Queens borough of New York City. Lily was part of the Red Storm’s hip-hop performance of Born This Way by Lady Gaga that yielded a national title for the team.

“It was such a great opportunity to be able to dance on that team as a freshman. Winning a championship in my first year was something I never could have imagined,” Lily says. “I was so happy. We worked so hard. Getting top three would have been amazing. To actually win was such an honor. We were here every single day during winter break, practicing just to do well at nationals.”

Lily started dancing at The Dance Connection studio in East Haven when she was two. While she won her national championship for hip-hop, Lily was mainly a jazz dancer when she joined the team at Branford. However, Lily learned fast when it came to hip-hop and was willing to do whatever it took to hone her skills.

“Lily wasn’t really a hip-hop dancer before she came to Branford. Over the four years of being with us, she was able to develop that skill to become a hip-hop dancer,” says Hornets’ co-Head Coach Megan Palluzzi. “The style St. John’s uses for hip-hop is something we really saw her fitting in with. We thought it was going to be a perfect fit for her.”

As Lily began to learn new skills, she suffered a major setback. During her sophomore year at Branford, Lily tore tendons and ligaments in her right ankle and also fractured the L5 vertebrae in her lower left back. Lily was unable to dance for a while and had to battle just to return to the sport she loves.

“It was definitely a struggle. It’s never easy to get back after an injury. Both injuries were things you couldn’t fix. They just had to heal over time,” Lily says. “I had to push through pain to get back into dance, but I was willing to do it, because I loved it so much.”

Lily remained positive while she was sidelined. She cheered for her teammates at competitions and supported them every step of the way, earning their trust as a result. As Lily entered her junior year at Branford, she was voted as a captain for the Hornets and held that role for the next two seasons. When she returned to the floor, Lily helped Branford with both her actions and words.

“Lily was really great with responsibility and keeping the team motivated. She’s an all-around hard worker and a very naturally talented dancer,” co-Head Coach Jacqui Montano says. “Lily was always extremely dedicated to dance. We were extremely lucky to have her for all four years.”

While Lily moved on to St. John’s, she never forgot where she came from. She often travels back to Branford to talk to the team’s dancers. After winning the national title with the Red Storm, Lily came back to share that experience with the current collection of Hornets.

“Having an alumni on a college team, especially one so highly ranked, is such a blessing for our girls. It keeps them so motivated and engaged. They just look up to them,” says Montano. “After Lily came back, the girls kept bringing up some of the things she said. What she said really stuck. It was really helpful, and it helped us coaches to have that inspiration.”

Montano and Branford’s dancers watched online as Lily competed at nationals. Meanwhile, Coach Palluzzi and Lily’s mother were in Orlando to see the championship in person. After St. John’s finished its performance, both coaches were texting Lily and telling her how well the team did. Palluzzi says that watching Lily be crowned as a national champion in college was one of the most satisfying moments of her life.

“It was one of the most surreal things I’ve ever seen. Lily lit up the stage. She has grown so much,” Palluzzi says. “To watch her succeed with the team and become successful was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was surreal to see a team like St. John’s and see one of your own rocking it and owning the stage up there.”

Lily loves how she can be creative and show her passion as a dancer. Throughout her career, she’s learned a new style of dance, grown as a leader by being a captain, and won championships at both the high school and collegiate levels. After beginning her career at a studio, Lily says the camaraderie that comes with competing for a team is what she appreciates the most.

“My studio was very solo-oriented. Everything was by yourself. I wasn’t really on a team,” says Lily. “I wanted that support system. I realized it wasn’t as fun to dance alone as it is with your best friends.”