KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is pleased to announce Danelle Langeneckert as the 2023 NAIA Competitive Cheer Coach of the Year after lifting St. Ambrose (Iowa) to their first Red Banner in program history.

Qualifying all seven years of the events existence, Fighting Bees had previous finished as the Runners-Up and twice ended in third place. But the 2023 Championship was a different story as SAU set the highest score in history at 95.51, besting the previous score of 93.70. Additionally, they recorded the highest margin of victory (4.75) besting the previous mark of 4.15 set in 2017. 

Langeneckert has been the head coach of the cheer team since 2017 in conjunction with serving as the dance team coach since the 2010-2011 season. She has had a total of 30 cheerleaders earn All-American status during her tenure. 

The seventh annual NAIA Cheer and Dance National Championships were hosted in Ypsilanti, Michigan on March 10th and 11th at the George Gervin GameAbove Center on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. Hosted by the Ann Arbor Sports Commission and Concordia University Ann Arbor, 15 cheer team’s competed in the two round competition. Prelim scores accounted for 25% of the total while Finals scores made up the remaining 75%.