Alisha Knowler has been hired as the new competitive cheer & dance head coach at Morningside.

Alisha Knowler has been hired as the Mustangs’ new competitive cheer & dance head coach announced Morningside athletic director Tim Jager.

Knowler replaces former Mustang head coach Lindsey Huber, who resigned last month.

Knowler will begin her duties on April 18. Knowler comes to Morningside from Briar Cliff University, where she has been the Chargers’ competitive dance coach and cheer advisor for the past four years. She started both the competitive dance and cheer programs at Briar Cliff and this past season guided the Chargers’ dance team to an eighth place finish at the 2016 NAIA Competitive Cheer & Dance National Invitational.

She was an assistant coach at Grand View University during the 2010-11 academic year. She helped lead the Vikings to a first place finish in Pom and a second place finish in Jazz at the collegiate state competition, a second place finish at regionals, and a fourth place finish at nationals.

Knowler is a 2011 graduate of Grand View, where she was a four-year member of the varsity dance team. She was team captain as a senior for a Viking dance team that finished first in both Jazz and Pom at the state competition.

She also served as a team captain for the Southeast Polk RhythAMette dance team during her prep career at Southeast Polk High School.