Elizabeth Leone, who has amassed more than 20 years of cheerleading experience, has been named the Benedictine University Head Cheerleading Coach for the 2014-15 season.
 
Leone comes to BenU after serving as Head Coach at Waubonsee Community College, where she has been since the program's inaugural year in 2010. Over those four and a half years, Leone took a new program to two collegiate competition championships: at the CSG College Nationals in Wisconsin Dells in January of 2011 and at the Xtreme Spirit Championship in Itasca in April of 2014.
 
Prior to her time at Waubonsee, she served in the same role at College of DuPage for five years and two years as an assistant. After years of success at both programs, Leone is ready to make the jump to a four-year institution.
 
"I am very excited to coach at Benedictine," said Leone. "It is a wonderful school and I'm honored to be a part of it. This is my first position at a four-year university, so I look forward to spending extended amounts of time with my team members and teaching them all I know, finally being able to create the program I have always dreamed of."
 
In addition, Leone has spent time coaching cheer at the pee-wee and pop warner levels all the way up to Level 5 All-Star programs, coaching with the Downers Grove Panthers, Elite All-Stars, eXtreme All-Starzz, Glenbard West High School, and Kaneland High School. Leone knows the experience at so many different levels of competition will help her build a strong program at BenU.
 
"I have been so fortunate to have been a part of so many wonderful schools and all-star programs that have prepared me for this opportunity," Leone said. "In being able to bring all I have learned, BenU will be able to enjoy all the experiences a full-faceted cheerleading program can bring to the spirit and unity of a school. I am very excited to share my experience with a sport that I love and cherish with this school and my team."
 
The Benedictine University cheerleading team performs at all football, men's basketball, and women's basketball home contests.