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Argenta Oreana Youth Cheerleading

(AOYC)

Argenta Oreana Youth Cheerleading is a youth cheer program based in the Argenta-Oreana School District community in Illinois. Established in 2024, the program was created to give local kids the opportunity to cheer alongside the JFL (Junior Football League) teams, represent their community, and build school spirit from an early age. After the success of the first football season, we proudly expanded to include basketball as well, which now gives young athletes in our community another sports option during the winter months.

In just one year, our program nearly doubled in size, and we're thrilled to be welcoming 59 cheerleaders to the 2025 Football Season!

Our mission is to build strong, confident athletes by fostering discipline, teamwork, and resilience through the sport of cheerleading. We are dedicated to empowering young athletes to lead with courage, embrace their strength, and develop the skills that will serve them both on and off the field.

“Strong Bodies. Fierce Voices.”

We cheer loud, train hard, and rise together—building athletes who lead with strength, confidence, and BOMBER pride!

Meet the Leadership

Melissa Cotton

Board President, Administrative Lead, & Coach (Football & Basketball)

Melissa is the organizational powerhouse behind AO Youth Cheer. She keeps the day-to-day operations running smoothly, handling everything from sign-ups to uniforms to fundraising and everything in between. Melissa works as a Senior Compliance Analyst at ADM, and when she's not working or cheering, she's busy with her three kids: Riley (8), and twins Luke and Liam (4).

Sesha Shonkwiler

Vice President & Coach (Football)

Sesha brings both coaching experience and heart to the team. A Teaching Assistant with DPS and an ordained pastor, she’s passionate about working with kids and helping them grow in confidence and skill. Sesha previously coached AOHS Cheerleading and has years of experience with Upward Cheer. She’s also a proud mom of two AO graduates, Chyra and Loryn.

Loryn Shonkwiler

Coach (Football)

Loryn is the energy at the heart of our cheer program. With years of cheerleading experience from youth leagues through high school, she brings pep, stunting knowledge, and strong leadership to the team. She’s currently a student at Richland Community College studying Early Childhood Education, and she’s passionate about helping our cheerleaders grow on and off the field.

Colleen Force

Board Secretary, Treasurer, & Coach (Football & Basketball)

Colleen is our finance guru. She helped establish the AO Youth Cheerleading organization, set up our EIN, and helps keep the books balanced. Whether it’s managing proper financial documentation or handling banking logistics, Colleen ensures everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

Jordan Barker

Coach (Basketball)

Jordan is mom to two AO kids — Kaebren, a junior, and Kalle, who’s in 3rd grade and part of our cheer family!

Jordan brings years of experience in youth sports, having coached both softball and baseball. She’s also been an active part of the community, helping with the Booster Club and volunteering at high school and JFL concession stands. Professionally, Jordan is a consultant who focuses on culture building, system development, effective communication, operational excellence, and quality compliance primarily in the pharmaceutical industry. When she’s not working or cheering on her kids, Jordan enjoys camping, gardening and canning, running and hiking, and making memories with her family.

Hayley Wessler

Cheer Tech + Photo Lead

Hayley jumped in last year as our unofficial team photographer, capturing the energy and heart of our cheerleaders and football players all season long. This year, she’s gone full tech mode—helping build and launch the AO Youth Cheer and JFL websites to make things easier for parents, coaches, and volunteers.

We are organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

As a nonprofit, all funds raised go directly toward program expenses such as uniforms, equipment, training, and scholarships for our participants. Our Board of Directors and volunteers oversee operations in accordance with nonprofit governance requirements, ensuring transparency, accountability, and compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations.

Disclosure: Contributions made to Argenta Oreana Youth Cheerleading are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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