Alicia Barreto named Shawano’s head cheer coach

Sydney Utke will serve as assistant

The Shawano Community High School cheerleading program will have new coaches when students return to school in the fall.

Mary Kast, who has led the cheer program for the past 18 years, is stepping down from her role as head coach.

Alicia Barreto has been hired as the new head coach. She will be assisted by Sydney Utke.

Barreto is ready for the challenge of continuing to improve the cheer program. She has a strong background in cheer and gymnastics. In high school, she cheered at South Milwaukee High School where she was the captain of her team in her junior and senior seasons. After high school, she developed a cheerleading program at University of Wisconsin-Waukesha and served as a student-coach of the team, leading the team to a second-place finish at the collegiate state championships both years she served in that role.

Barreto is employed at Shawano Total Fitness as a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and activities coordinator. She has also been part of the Shawano Leadership program, expecting to graduate from the program this spring.

“I can’t thank Shawano enough for this amazing opportunity,” said Barreto. “Cheer has changed my life in such a positive way and I can’t wait to share with others the importance of the sport.”

Utke was a cheerleader for eight years, including for four years at SCHS. Most recently, she served as a volunteer coach for the SCHS cheer team during the 21-22 school year. Utke graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from UW-Stout, and is employed as a registered behavior technician at Strive Behavior Solutions.

Utke is excited to join the staff.

“As a former Shawano Hawk cheerleader, I look forward to helping with the development of great athletes and to be a part of such and amazing program,” she said.

“We are disappointed to see coach Kast step away,” said SCHS Activities Director Joel Wondra. “We are grateful for all she has done for the cheer program. She is passing along a strong, respected program. I’m confident that coach Barreto and coach Utke will build upon that strong foundation by continuing to provide a positive, meaningful experience to the members of the team.”

The new coaches have already begun planning for the fall team. A clinic and tryouts for the fall squad are tentatively planned for Aug. 1, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Students interested in cheerleading should watch the cheer page on the district website (www.shawanoschools.com/o/schs/page/cheerleading-home-page) for more information.