Spirit Squads
- Title:
- Director of Spirit & Traditions
- Email:
- Kristen_Hankins@baylor.edu
- Phone:
- 3357
Kristen Hankins is in her seventh season as the Director of Spirit & Traditions at Baylor University, she is the head coach for the Songleaders dance team, Bruiser & Marigold Mascot Sic’urity teams. In the Songleaders inaugural competition season 2018 Division 1A runner-up in Jazz at the ADTS College Championship and 2018 Academic Champions for highest team grade point average. Under Kristen’s direction the dance & mascot teams have won a combined 7 collegiate national championships at Dance Team Union’s College Classic. 2019 division 1A Pom, 2021 division 1A Jazz, 2021 division 1A Mascot, 2021 division 1A Spirit Showdown for the joint routine between the dance & mascot team, 2022 division 1A Mascot, 2023 division 1A Mascot & 2021 division 1A Battle Champions for their jazz routine. As well as 2019 Jazz third place, 2021 Jazz 2nd place, 2022 Jazz 6th place, Bruiser 3rd place, Spirit Showdown 3rd place, Pom 5th place. 2023 Bruiser 2nd place, Spirit Showdown 2nd place, Team Performance 2nd place. Looking forward to the 23-24 season.
Kristen was the Athletic Director for Heights Preparatory in Dallas, TX from 2014-2017 along with her director duties Kristen coached varsity volleyball, competitive cheer & dance. The athletics program had its three most successful seasons under the direction of Hankins.
Kristen was the founding coordinator of the Wayland Baptist University Spirit Teams and coach of the competitive cheer and dance programs. Both squads enjoyed great success at the 2013 NCA/NDA Collegiate Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla., and CCA Collegiate Championship in Salem, North Carolina. Both teams were nationally ranked since their inaugural year in 2010 -2014.
A graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, she was a member of and later an assistant coach for the nationally-ranked SFA Pom Squad 2000-2007. Hankins served as the assistant director of the national champion McLennan Community College Dance Company in 2009-2010. She was nominated for consideration to receive a NISOD Excellence Award while at MCC.
As a member of the American Dance and Drill Team staff for the past 14 years, the Universal Cheerleaders Association, US Tumblers Coach Hankins has taught clinics, camps and judged cheer and dance team try-outs and contests across the nation. She also taught and developed gymnastic and competitive dance programs for two years for the Boys & Girls Club of Deep East Texas.
Coach Hankins received a Master of Coaching & Athletic Administration at Concordia University in 2016 and a bachelor's degree in communication advertising with a minor in Kinesiology from SFA in 2005.
Kristen married Elliott Hankins from Waco, Texas in 2016; Elliott is a 2005 graduate of Baylor University.
