Executive Board
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President
Sandi Gildehaus
Sandi Gildehaus has been an active member of MCCA since 2003 and has served on competition and all state-committees. Sandi held an At-Large executive board position for 6 years before running for president in 2022. Sandi was the St. Louis Competition director for 12 years and the State competition director for 1 year. Sandi coached cheer at St Francis Borgia for 19 years - in that time won 10 State Championships, 1 Game Day State Championship, and was a Finalist in 2022 at UCA Nationals. Sandi was voted Borgia Coach of the Year in 2011. Sandi was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 as a cheer coach. Sandi serves on the MSHSAA Spirit Advisory Committee as an ex-officio member, MSHSAA Cheer Rules Interpreter, and is also a member of USA Cheer.
term expires March 2028
Vice President
Kate Townsend
Kate Townsend is the Operations Director of STUNT the Sport for USA Cheer. She moved to Missouri in 2021 to be a full-time coach and Director of Club STUNT at Cheer Athletics St. Louis with goals of growing cheerleading and STUNT at the youth age group across the state. She spent a couple years as the Head STUNT Coach and Assistant Cheer Coach at Ursuline Academy in STL. Kate graduated from the University of Louisville, where she won 4 NCA National Championships with Louisville Small Coed and All-Girl and 2 STUNT National Championships. She was a part of the first All-Girl US National Team, winning an ICU World Championship in 2009. She also worked as a Head Instructor, choreographer, and judge for Regional and National Championships for UCA and Varsity Brands for 10+ years. She cheered in All-Star as well, winning 3 USASF World Championships with GymTyme AllStars during college. Her passion is education and creating opportunities with inclusive environments for young athletes across the country.
term expires March 2027
Secretary
Abbey Gradle
term expires March 2028
Abbey Gradle teaches photography at Marquette High School and was formally the head cheerleading coach for 13 years. Over her coaching tenure, her team won 10 consecutive STL Regional Titles,
3 State Championships in 2013, 2017, 2019, 2 Band Chant Game Day Titles, and was a Finalist in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship. Previously, Abbey served on the MSHSAA Spirit Advisory Committee as the St. Louis Cheer Representative from 2017-2021. She also currently assists MSHSAA as a Cheer Rules Interpreter and is a member of USA Cheer. Abbey has been a member of MCCA since 2009 serving as an All-State Director, At-Large Board Member (2022-2024), and Secretary (2024-present). She is looking forward to continuing her role as secretary and organizing the All-State nomination process.
Treasurer
Liz Green
term expires March 2027
Liz Green is the building principal at Woodridge Middle School in the Northwest R-1 School District. She coached cheerleading for 15 years at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill, during which time she led her team to a 2019 state championship in the Large Coed division. Liz managed a program of over 60 athletes and helped to develop a Booster Club to provide fundraising opportunities to cheerleaders. Liz has been a member of MCCA since 2014. She lives in Cedar Hill, MO with her husband and two children.
At-Large
Sonya Gough
Sonya Gough is head coach of the Blue Springs South Cheer program. This is her 15th year coaching at South and 17th year coaching cheerleading. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in education and teaches 8th grade. She and her husband Teth are parents to one daughter, Addison, and two dogs, Hank and Pickles.
term expires March 2028
At-Large
Kelsey Mayabb
Kelsey Mayabb cheered at Oak Park High School and the University of Missouri. She coached All-Girl and Coed for 12 years at Oak Park High School with her team earing a MCCA State Title in 2023 and placing in the top 3 in Large Coed at NCA Nationals in 2023. Starting 2024, Kelsey became the head coach at Liberty North where she teaches sports marketing. During her inaugural season as an Eagle, her team earned a MCCA State Title in the Small Coed Division. Kelsey has been a member of MCCA since 2012 serving as the Media Director (2024-present). She previously served on the MSHSAA Spirit Advisory Committee as the Kansas City Cheer Representative from 2016-2020. Currently, she assists MSHSAA as a Cheer Rules Interpreter and is a member of USA Cheer. Kelsey also serves as the KC Rules Interpreter for MSHSAA and is a member of USA Cheer. Kelsey was recognized as the 2026 MCCA Coach of the Year honoring her excellence and commitment to coaching.
term expires March 2027
Board of Directors
meet our...
appointed positions annually.
Trustees
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Past President
Tom Reynolds (2018-2022)
Past President
Suzy Thompson (1988-2018)
Past Co-President
Nancy Allen (1988-1989)
Past Secretary
Rachael Larsen (2018-2024)
committees
meet our...
Classification | Name | School | Email |
|---|---|---|---|
Competition Director | Jenn Newman | MCCA Board | competition@missouricheercoaches.org |
1A | Christina Cline | Orrick | ccline@orrick.k12.mo.us |
1A | Lisa Stobbe | Putnam County | lstobbe@putnamcountyr1.net |
2A | Rebekah Kropf | Centralia | rebekah.kropf@cr6.org |
2A | Andrea Sanders | East Prairie | andrea.sanders@eastprairie.org |
2A | Delisa Jeffries | Hallsville | DJeffrie@hallsville.org |
2A | Amanda Frech | Hallsville | afrech@hallsville.org |
3A | Abbey Hillen | Moberly | abbeysagohillen@moberlyspartans.org |
4A | Olivia Savage | Farmington | osavage@farmington.k12.mo.us |
4A | Anna Gildehaus | Pacific | an3gilde@gmail.com |
5A | Rylee Thomas | Battle | rthomas2303@gmail.com |
5A | Breanne callaway | Francis Howell North | breannecallaway@gmail.com |
5A | Erica Wagner | Timberland | ericawagner@wsdr4.org |
6A | Meg Diddle | Blue Springs South | mdiddle@bssd.net |
6A | Katie Cagle | Marquette | katiecagle4@gmail.com |
6A | Brianna Gerling | Northwest | bgerling@northwestschools.net |
6A | Victoria Butler | Park Hill | phhstrojancheer@gmail.com |
competition committee
education committee
Classification | Name | School | Email |
|---|---|---|---|
Education Director | Kate Townsend | MCCA Board | education@missouricheercoaches.org |
1A | Heather Newman | Putnam County | hnewman@putnamcountyr1.net |
1A | Shelby St. Aubyn | Silex | sstaubyn@silex.k12.mo.us |
1A | Robyn Margaret | Westran Middle | rmaag@westran.k12.mo.us |
2A | Peyton Earley | Hallsville | pearley@hallsville.org |
3A | Kendra Franek | Osage | kfranek5809@my.pmi.edu |
4A | Tia Cunningham | Farmington | tlcunningham@farmington.k12.mo.us |
4A | Tristen Bethel | Union Middle | betheltristen@gmail.com |
5A | Alexis Kruse | Lebanon | akruse@lebanon.k12.mo.us |
5A | Angelo Corsolini | Ozark | angelocorsolini@gmail.com |
5A | Kim Smith | Retired | kimberlysmith@pb.k12.mo.us |
6A | Tyler Haney | Lee’s Summit West | coacht.haney@gmail.com |
6A | Hannah Thiessen | Liberty North | hthiessen04@gmail.com |
6A | Lauren Thompson | Staley | laurenmt2002@gmail.com |
all-state committee
Classification | Name | Email | Email |
|---|---|---|---|
All-State Director | Abbey Gradle | allstate@missouricheercoaches.org | allstate@missouricheercoaches.org |
1A | Lynn Cantrell | lynn.cantrell@hartville.k12.mo.us | lynn.cantrell@hartville.k12.mo.us |
1A | Corrie McNeely | crjmcneely@yahoo.com | crjmcneely@yahoo.com |
1A | Brittany Butler | bbutler@slaterschools.net | bbutler@slaterschools.net |
2A | Krista Morgan | krista.morgan@cr6.org | krista.morgan@cr6.org |
2A | Lauren Durand | lauren.durand@yahoo.ca | lauren.durand@yahoo.ca |
3A | Brea Ray-Ellis | bray@odessar7.net | bray@odessar7.net |
4A | Sharron Phipps | phipps.sharron@desoto.k12.mo.us | phipps.sharron@desoto.k12.mo.us |
4A | Alli Watson | awatson@fz.k12.mo.us | awatson@fz.k12.mo.us |
4A | Tiffany Cox | coxt@smithville.k12.mo.us | coxt@smithville.k12.mo.us |
4A | Sarah Otto | ottos@unionrxi.org | ottos@unionrxi.org |
5A | Megan Adams | meganadams@ozarktigers.org | meganadams@ozarktigers.org |
5A | Shelby Huez | shelbyhuez@wsdr4.org | shelbyhuez@wsdr4.org |
6A | Taylor Ocker | tkcasey@sbcglobal.net | tkcasey@sbcglobal.net |
6A | Hannah Ryan | hannah.ryan@nkcschools.org | hannah.ryan@nkcschools.org |
College | Charmaine Harris | charris@kirksville.k12.mo.us | charris@kirksville.k12.mo.us |
scholarship committee
Classification | Name | School | Email |
|---|---|---|---|
Scholarship Director | Rachael Larsen | MCCA Board | scholarship@missouricheercoaches.org |
1A | Katy Jones | Oak Ridge | kjones@oakridge.k12.mo.us |
1A | Renae Bridges | Sweet Springs | rbridges@sweetsprings.k12.mo.us |
2A | Brittany Henricks | Centralia | Brittany.henricks@cr6.org |
2A | Debra Wolf | St Pius X Kansas City | debra.perillo@outlook.com |
3A | Steph Bekebrede | Reeds Spring | sbekebrede@wolves.k12.mo.us |
4A | Taylor Greife | Union | taylor.greife@gmail.com |
5A | Bailey Miner | Ozark Junior High | baileyminer@ozarktigers.org |
6A | Ryann Venable | Liberty High | ryann.venable@lps53.org |
6A | Cristin Allen | Liberty North | cristin.allen@lps53.org |
6A | Kristine Hayes | Rock Bridge | khayes@cpsk12.org |