Ottawa University is pleased to announce Regina Smith as its new spirit team coordinator. Smith succeeds Alex Shaw, who served OU for three years.
Prior to coming to OU, Smith spent three years as the spirit coordinator and head cheer, dance and mascot coach at Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania. At Thiel, an NCAA Division III institution, Smith recruited over 50 students for the cheer and dance teams. Under Smith’s leadership, the dance team had the number one GPA in the Thiel Athletic Department. She implemented new traditions which included the Thiel College fight song, the mascot and the crowd chant. Both of Smith's teams at TC were nationally ranked and the cheer team qualified three straight years for the UCA College Nationals, placing ninth in 2007. In 2008 and 2009, the Thiel cheer and dance team was chosen to perform during halftime shows for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. From 2006-2007, Smith was the head dance coach and sponsor at Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, Illinois. She managed over 40 athletes in the two programs.
As a competitor, Smith was a regional qualifier for two consecutive years, was a national qualifier for two years and finished in the top 15. She was a Bolingbrook Pop Warner League Trojan Cheerleader from 1992-1997, was a Cheer Chicago Naperville Blaze All-Star Cheerleader from 1999-2001, chosen as a UCA All-Star Cheerleader, and an NCA All-American Cheerleader. Additionally, she was a four-time ICCA State qualifier and lettered three years at the varsity level for Romeoville High School, where she was co-captain of the cheerleading squad.
Smith attended Illinois State University on a cheerleading scholarship and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor of science in interdisciplinary studies. Smith received a master of business administration from Point Park University in 2009.