As part of the expansion, the College welcomed Samantha Laster to the newly-created position of head dance coach and director of spirit teams, in August. Laster will focus on building the skills needed for competition and developing relationships with other teams and choreographers. The program will also offer community engagement with youth dance camps. Laster brings five seasons of experience as the head dance coach and main choreographer for Saint Xavier University in Chicago.

“We are thrilled to have Samantha join us here at Illinois College and look forward to seeing her teams in action,” Director of Athletics Mike Snyder said. “Having competitive cheer and dance teams at IC is another way for us to expand our footprint in the region.”