Clarke Cheerleading Embraces a New Beginning

For Clarke University’s cheerleading team, the 2026 season brings a new identity and a new challenge. After transitioning from a varsity sport to a club, the program is now working to rebuild its roster and return to competition.

CU Spirit Squad at a home football game.

Last year, the team had nine cheerleaders, one member short of the minimum of ten required to compete. As a result, Clarke cheerleading was unable to participate in competitions. With ten members, the team would be eligible to return to competition, making recruitment one of its biggest priorities moving forward. The transition from a sport to a club has made that goal more difficult. For incoming college athletes, the opportunity to compete and travel can be a major part of what makes joining a collegiate team appealing. Without those opportunities, recruiting new members has become more challenging.

“The biggest difference is the competing aspect and not being able to travel,” Lilly Welu said. For Lilly, a fourth-year biology major, the change was also something the team had little control over. “It wasn’t really an option. It was a requirement,” Lilly said. “We knew it was going to happen, but not getting a heads-up was the main takeaway.” Despite the transition, Lilly said the team remains committed to building the program rather than allowing the change to define its future. “There’s nothing wrong with saying we’re a fantastic club, but at least make it known,” Lilly said.

The program is now known as the Spirit Squad, and with a new head coach, the team is looking to move forward. Morgan Pfohl took over as head coach in January 2026 after serving as an assistant coach beginning in 2025. A Dubuque native and St. Ambrose University alumna, Pfohl brings a background in collegiate dance and plans to place a greater emphasis on recruiting. The Spirit Squad is looking beyond Clarke’s campus to rebuild its roster, including attending nearby competitions and connecting with high schools to reach potential recruits. The goal is straightforward: Reaching the ten-member minimum and putting the team back in a position to compete. Pfohl’s arrival comes after longtime director Terri Mayberry stepped down in late 2025. Mayberry originally helped establish Clarke’s modern competitive cheerleading program in 2022.

For the Spirit Squad, the transition represents a significant change from what the program has been, but it does not have to determine what it becomes. As the team works to recruit new members and rebuild its roster, its focus remains on moving forward. Lilly hopes the Clarke community will continue to support the newly named Spirit Squad as it works toward returning to competition. “We’re not going to give up,” Lilly said.