Lourdes University Vice President for Athletics Janet Eaton has announced the hiring of Kortney Nieckarz as the Gray Wolves' next head competitive cheer coach.
 
"I am extremely excited to have Coach Nieckarz as our new head cheer coach," Eaton stated.  "I am confident she will take our program to new heights.  A Lourdes alum, she has a wealth of knowledge within the sport and is well respected by her peers.  She has touched many young lives through the world of cheer."
 
Nieckarz has been the head cheerleading coach at Sylvania Southview High School since 2008.  She led the Cougars to a third-place finish at the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA) state championships.  Southview qualified for the state championships annually from 2016-2019.
 
Nieckarz spent 2003-2010 as an All-Star coach for Sparks Thunder Cheer Team, winning six national championships during the 2007-2008 competition season.  She also was a tumbling instructor for many years at CheerWorks Gym.
 
A former varsity collegiate cheerleader herself, she spent three seasons as a member of the University of Toledo's squad.
 
"I am completely humbled to step into the role as the head cheerleading coach of Lourdes University," Nieckarz said.  "I am thrilled to be returning to my alma mater to coach cheerleading at the collegiate level and want to thank athletic director Janet Eaton for this opportunity. As a Sylvania native, I have seen the hard work that the previous coaches and student-athletes have put in over the years to lay a solid foundation and I look forward to building upon it.  My goal is to not only continue to build a strong competitive program, but also to create an environment that fosters personal and academic growth through athletic performance, leadership, and community service.  I have high expectations for myself and the cheerleaders as members of the community and as students-athletes. To say I am excited is an understatement."
 
Nieckarz is a 2009 graduate of Lourdes with a degree in middle childhood education.  She earned a master's degree in reading from Concordia University Ann Arbor in 2018.