Spiritline

REBECCA BOYTER
Coordinator

Rebecca Boyter provided magic as a Spiritliner when the dance/cheer team concept was first inaugurated at then-College of St. Francis back in 1988. A three-time captain, she played a key role on two top-10 finishing squads at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) nationals before graduating in 1991.

Seven years later, Boyter returned to the program and so did the magic. In each of her eight seasons as the Spiritline coordinator, Boyter has taken her teams to the NCA Collegiate National Championships in either the cheer or dance division.

During her inaugural 1997-98 campaign, Boyter, along with co-coordinator Julie Becker, directed the Spiritline to its second-best finish in school history at the time, placing seventh in the nation in the dance category at the Division II level. One year later, USF was back, but came up short in advancing to the final round and finished in 15th place.

In 2000, the Spiritline returned to the forefront, earning a fourth-place finish in the Division II All-Girl Cheer category. The squad followed that up by taking sixth place in 2001, 11th place in 2002, ninth place in 2003 and 13th place the following year.

Boyter took over the Spiritline from her older sister, Cindi Tyler, who initiated the program and served as its director for each of the first nine years before retiring in 1997.

Prior to joining the Spiritline, Boyter was a member of three national championship squads in the dance and pom categories at St. Francis Academy, including 1985 when she was named as a NCA all-American.

Boyter, who also serves as a licensed clinical social worker at Thornwood High School, has two children, Drew and Riley. They reside in Tinley Park.

Former Spiritliner Missy (Seiler) Hartsell joins the coaching staff in 2005 to assume the duties of assistant coordinator.

Hartsell, who was a member of the Spiritline program from 1999-2002, served as a team captain as a senior. Also in 2001-02, she was the gymnastics supervisor for the Joliet Park District.

In her junior year at USF, Hartsell was the cheerleading coach at Kelven Grove Junior High in Lockport. She also taught tumbling classes at Lockport High School and the Lockport Park District since she was 17.

The Lockport native attended Joliet Catholic Academy, where she was a four-year member of the cheerleading team and a captain her final season.

After graduating from USF with a degree in recreation administration, Hartsell worked as the director of My Gym Children’s Fitness Center in Ohio from 2002-04 before taking a job as the acquatics supervisor, teen supervisor and gymnastics supervisor at the Lockport Park District last September.

Hartsell and her husband, Brandon, live in Bolingbrook.