Athletics Coaches and Activity Sponsors

Kristie Short

kshort@crestridge.org

Anime
HS Drama Club

McKenzie Deatherage

mdeatherage@crestridge.org

Art Club
NHS

Leslie Chamber

lchambers@crestridge.org

Band
Choir

Leslie Chambers received her bachelor’s degree in music education from Missouri Western State University in 2010 and her master’s degree in conducting from the University of Central Missouri in 2015. She has been teaching band, choir, and guitar in the Crest Ridge R-VII School District for the past nine years. Under her direction, the high school band has received exemplary ratings at state large group festival and continues to perform well in marching competitions. She is currently the Vice-President of Bands for the West Central Missouri Music Educators Association, Teacher of the Year Finalist in 2018-19, and an active mentor for first-year K-12 music teachers. Leslie is married to her wonderful husband, Eric, and together they have two children: CJ and Gabby.

Rick Schmidli

rschmidli@embarqmail.com

Baseball
JH Boys Basketball

I spent 25 years in education, coaching in 16 of those years. Ten of those years as a teacher were spent at Crest Ridge, where I coached boys and girls varsity basketball and softball. After retiring from education, I returned to Crest Ridge as an assistant basketball coach, eventually taking over the Junior High boys basketball team and becoming the head Baseball Coach. I have lived in the Crest Ridge district for over 24 years now, with my beautiful wife Lisa and our three children, who all graduated from Crest Ridge, Kaylee, Brenna, and Cole.

Baseball is a great sport that depends on the student-athlete's individual skills being utilized in a team concept and making the sacrifice to do what is best for the team. The Baseball coaching staff strives to make each player not only a better baseball player, also a better person. Every day in every way, get better.

Cooper Collier

ccollier@crestridge.org

HS Boys Basketball

Katie Woolsey

kwoolsey@crestridge.org

HS Girls Basketball
FCA

I’m very proud of the Crest Ridge girls’ basketball program’s great history and the tradition of being positive examples in the community. I grew up watching CR girls’ basketball from the stands, loved my time playing in high school, and now enter my 14th year as a CR coach. I love the game of basketball and was blessed with the opportunity to play at Northwest Missouri State University. My goal is to teach young ladies to pursue excellence; this effort requires passion, humility, grit, confidence, drive, and an uncommon desire to be one’s best and bring out the best in others.

Basketball is a team sport that requires daily improvement of skills, conditioning, and teamwork. Our program standards focus on what we can control: have a positive attitude; give your best effort; be a good communicator; and be a great teammate. We are a team that strives together; for greatness is not in the outcome, it's in the process, in who you become & the greatness you bring out in others.

Linda Heishman

lheishman@crestridge.org

JH Girls Basketball

This is my 14th year in education and 14th year at Crest Ridge. I have coached JH Girls basketball all but a year or two during that time. I love connecting with the students in a non-acadmeic setting. Truth be told, it is the favorite part of my day.

JH Girls Basketball is the first opportunity for students to participate in education based athletics. We work on development of basic basketball skills as well instilling our 4 core values: Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence and Teamwork.

Anita Panirisi

apanarisi@crestridge.org

Hs Cheer

Troy Brandes

tbrandes@crestridge.org

Cross Country
HS Track
JH Track

Nate Presenzano

npresenzano@crestridge.org

Lisa Siegfried

lsiegfried@crestridge.org

FBLA

Brittany Gauchat

bgauchat@crestridge.org

FCCLA

Avery Deevers

adeevers@crestridge.org

FFA

Thomas Hotmer

thotmer@crestridge.org

HS Football
JH Football

I'll be entering my 8th year of education; three at Bolivar, three at Princeton, and now my second at Crest Ridge. I love coaching football and I thoroughly enjoy trying to help kids become the best in life of which they are capable.

Football provides students a chance to work as a team to achieve a common goal. We are a family that strives to get better every day. Our emphasis is to always have a great attitude, always give our best effort, always be a great teammate, and always demonstrate unconditional gratitude regardless of our circumstances.