Coaching legend retires from Cowley after 25 years
Having spent the past 25 years as head coach of the Cowley College Tigerette Danceline and the last 12 years in charge of the cheer team, Lindsay Sanderholm's final day at the college was honored by friends and family in a retirement celebration held Friday, September 1 in the Hall of Fame Room inside W.S. Scott Auditorium.
"It was exciting for me to take cheer over and be able to have both teams work together and create the atmosphere at the basketball games and go to regionals together," Sanderholm said.
Before coaching at Cowley, Sanderholm received her associate's degree from Cowley College, where she was a member of the Tigerette Danceline. She was team captain and competed at UDA Dance Nationals in Florida. While at Cowley, she was also a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member and a student ambassador. After Cowley, Sanderholm received her Bachelor of Integrated Studies degree from Emporia State University. The two-time All-American dancer returned to coach at Cowley in 1998 and led the cheer team to five consecutive region championships (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) and the dance team to three region championships (2019, 2021, 2022).
During the 2023 season, she helped the cheer team place first at the Cheer America Championship, and the Tigerettes were named second runner-up at the American Collegiate Championship.
During the 2021 season, Sanderholm led the Tigerettes and Cheer Team to runner-up finishes at The College Classic National Championship in Orlando, FL.
"I have such great memories of all the teams I have coached," Sanderholm said. "My first year back at Cowley, I got to coach my future sister-in-law, Chelsea Hutchins, and take her to nationals, which was a lot of fun. Also, in 2008, I had a 20th anniversary for the Tigerettes, and my former coach Lana Sleeper came back, and we danced with the girls at halftime."
Cowley College athletic director Jeff Fluty is sad to see another coaching legend retire from Cowley.
"Coach Lindsay has been a key contributor to the overall success here at Cowley for the past 25 years," Fluty said. "Within our athletic department, she has always demonstrated a winning Cowley mindset and determined Tiger spirit. She has been an outstanding coach and mentor to all student-athletes who have been a part of our cheer and dance teams. Coach Lindsay's professionalism, experience, and commitment to the Tiger Way will be missed. Thank you, Coach Lindsay."
Sanderholm and her husband, Aaron, are the parents of Madilynn, Easton, and Lilliann. Aaron is a member of the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame and was an integral part of the 1997 JUCO World Series-winning baseball team. He went on to serve as a volunteer assistant with the Tiger baseball team in 2001 and served as a full-time assistant coach from 2002-2004 before returning as a volunteer assistant in 2011-2014 and 2016-2019.
He will likely be joined in the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame by his wife, Lindsay.
"When Aaron first coached at Cowley, we lived in the dorms, so we have kind of had the full spectrum of things at the college," Sanderholm said.
The couple's daughter Madilynn graduated from Cowley in 2022, Easton is a freshman at Cowley, and Lilliann is a sophomore at Arkansas City High School.
"Coaching my daughter at Cowley and having her be a Tigerette like I was is very special," Sanderholm said. "I am proud of all of the kids that have come through the program and are able to say they are Cowley alums."
One of Sanderholm's former cheer squad members, Holli Rowe, has been named as her successor at Cowley.
"I took over for my coach (Lana Sleeper), and now she is taking over for her coach," Sanderholm said. "There have not been a lot of coaches in the program."
Sanderholm is leaving Cowley but will remain a part of the Arkansas City community as she and Aaron own Ark City Glass.
"It is sad and exciting to be retiring from Cowley," Sanderholm said. "I will miss the kids the most."