COACHING STAFF

Dawn Burton | Cheerleading Coach

Dawn Burton joined Colorado State in 2005 and is currently the Spirit Coordinator, head cheerleading coach, and director of the CSU Ramettes dance team.

A graduate from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Administration in Human Resources Management and Marketing, Burton earned her master’s degree in Human Resources Development. Burton was a cheerleader and captain on both the co-ed and all-girl teams at New Mexico State.

Including high school and collegiate teams, Burton has over 15 years of experience coaching cheer and dance. She holds state cheerleading titles and choreographed for teams in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Burton has experience as a technical and routine judge for state, regional, and national competitions and has judged both high school and all-star teams at the national level in Orlando (as aired on ESPN) since 2013. In 2005, she was chosen to judge the Mexico International Nationals in Mexico City, Mexico.

Burton is both NFHS and AACCA certified and was an instructor and head instructor for the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) for 10 years.

Lauren Rael | Gold Poms Coach

Lauren is a Colorado native, born and raised in Greeley, Colorado. She is no stranger to Colorado State University and the greater Northern Colorado area. Lauren’s dance and cheer career began when she was four, when she could not stop dancing during her soccer game instead of actually playing soccer. She has competed around the nation, in both cheerleading and dancing. She danced for Greeley West High School, then made the CSU Golden Poms, as the only freshmen to make the team that year. Lauren stayed very active during her time at CSU. In addition to her academics, she was captain of the Golden Poms, a coach for the CSU Ramettes, she joined Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority and she was a marketing intern for the CSU Athletics marketing department. Upon graduating from CSU with a degree in Bachelors in Sociology-Criminal Justice, she was brought back as an interim coach for the Golden Poms, then stayed on for five seasons as an assistant coach.