Kansas Wesleyan University

Claire Schmidt joined the Kansas Wesleyan Cheer and Dance coaching staff in March 2021.

In 2024-25, Schmidt led the Coyotes to a fourth place finish at the KCAC Championships. KWU won the Coyote Classic in late January and battled through the remainder of the season culminating with the KCAC Championships while became an automatic qualifier for the NAIA for the first time. KWU had three All-KCAC picks as Tru Haesemeyer, Ava Crotty and Madelene McVey were named to the second-team. Three were Academic All-KCAC and Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. 


In 2023-24, Schmidt helped lead the Kansas Wesleyan Dance program to a KCAC Championship for the first time since the 2015 season. The Coyotes finished third at the NAIA National Qualifier. Five student-athletes were named as All-KCAC, with three named to the First Team in Tru Haesemeyer, Kiran Bailey, and Kyla McLaughlin. Schmidt was named as the KCAC Coach of the Year. Six were named as Academic All-KCAC honorees and five were named as Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. 


She also served as Interim Coach for the Cheer program for the 2023-24 season, leading the Coyotes to a fourth place finish. KWU had three All-KCAC performers led by Ashley Hawthorne's second team selection. Two were named as Academic All-KCAC and KWU had one Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete.


She has been dancing since the age of three and competing since the age of four and has trained extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and contemporary dance. Claire has been choreographing for dance teams since the age of 13 and has won awards for her work. She also has recently started choreographing for musicals as well.

She studied Dance at Wichita State University where she was a member of the Shocker Dance Team. She completed her bachelor's degree at Kansas Wesleyan in fall of 2020 in Gender Studies.

Claire is an instructor and choreographer at Revolution School of Dance and the Salina Community Theatre. Claire also works for Varsity Spirit as a dance company member of the Universal Dance Association.