Sarah Tedrick, an alumna of Kent State, will serve as the new head coach of the cheerleading program as it joins the athletic department this fall.

Tedrick brings over 15 years of training from World Elite, a cheer and gymnastics center in Northeast Ohio. World Elite is a two-time defending Summit Champion. The championship is an end-of-season event for juniors and senior teams from across the country and the world.

From 2017 to 2019, World Elite also earned three U.S. Finals Championships under her guidance. Tedrick worked as a general manager there as well.

Now, the cheerleading program staff will have 35 years of experience and knowledge combined.

In addition to Tedrick being a part of World Elite since 2006, she was a mobile gym instructor, recreational class instructor and All-Star cheerleading coach.

The new partnership Kent State launched with World Elite will bring together the athletic department and student affairs, where the cheerleading program is housed, to increase university investment in the cheerleading program. The cheerleaders will manage their needs within the athletic department. It will shift the program from a non-athletic department to the regular athletic program.

This new partnership will give Kent State multiple benefits, the school said in a news release. These include an increase in the university’s investment in the cheerleading program and giving the cheerleaders access to the department’s strength training and health benefits.

The cheerleading squad supports multiple university sports teams at athletic events throughout the year, including football and men’s and women’s basketball.

The squad competes at the NCA Collegiate Cheerleading Championships in Daytona Beach, Florida, every year. At this year’s competition, the squad placed in the top five.

Josie Burkhart is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].