Bio

Laurel Ritter was named the Competitive Head Dance Coach at St. Ambrose University on June 10, 2024.

In her first year as head coach, Ritter led the SAU Dance Team to a national runner-up finish at the NAIA Competitive Dance Championships. St. Ambrose finished just 0.16 points short of earning a third-straight national title. She coached Josie Kaffenberger and Sara Gundacker, who were named the 2025 NAIA Competitive co-Dancers of the Year. It was the second straight Dancer of the Year award for Kaffenberger.

A total of nine Bees were named NAIA All-Americans in 2025, including seven named to the first team. Ritter also coached the team to a conference title as SAU won the inaugural American Midwest Conference Championship in 2025. Kaffenberger was named the AMC Dancer Performer of the Year and a total of seven Bees were named to the all-conference team.

Ritter had previously been an assistant coach for the SAU Dance Team from 2014-16 and 2021-24. During that time, she coached the teams under the supervision of Danelle Langeneckert to back-to-back national invitational championships as well as being on staff for the 2023 and 2024 national titles. 

"I am incredibly honored and proud to be the head dance coach of the St. Ambrose University Dance Team," Ritter said. "I have massive shoes to fill following Danelle Langeneckert and hope to do her and this program well. I want to continue making this team a powerhouse and work with the cheer squad to build an incredible family unit at SAU."

Ritter was a member of the dance team at St. Ambrose from 2009-13 and won many state titles along with helping the team win its first national title in 2012 and runner up in 2013. 

With years of experience as a dance performer, instructor, and coach Ritter is familiar with the SAU dance program, having served as the assistant coach for a total of five years. Ritter has been involved in the dance world for over two decades. 

Athletic Director Mike Holmes stated of Ritter, "Laurel impressed the interview committee with her commitment to keeping the program at its robust level, while balancing the emotional needs of the student-athletes. She has been involved with SAU Dance as an athlete, an assistant, and a game day coordinator. She knows what it takes to keep the juggernaut churning."

Ritter was a member and captain of the Cambridge High School dance team where she helped said team qualify for state every year. She has assisted with judging local dance teams tryouts, choreographed for high school dance teams, and taught dance classes at the YMCA. 

Ritter is passionate about helping her athletes more than just on the dance floor. With her background in mental health counseling, she hopes to reach each athlete's true potential by helping them grow in mind, body, and spirit. Ritter wants to instill safe coping mechanisms on and off the dance floor that will help athletes during their time at SAU and beyond. Ritter serves a sovereign God and knows His plans are always better and she will be looking to Him to help guide this team to victory. 

She graduated with a degree in Psychology from St. Ambrose in 2013 before earning her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Illinois University in the Quad Cities in 2016.