Samantha Laster is in her ninth season at Illinois College as the Head Dance Coach & Director of Spirit Teams.

Laster and the Lady Blues Dance Team experienced another successful season in 2024-25. IC recorded three top 10 finishes at the Dance Team Union College Classic National Championships. IC finished second in the team competition, sixth in jazz, and 10th in pom. Before nationals, the Lady Blues won the team performance category and placed second in pom and third in jazz at The Dance Team Union College Classic Regional Competition.

The 2023-24 season was a tremendous success for the IC Dance Team under Laster’s guidance. The squad had a monumental performance at the College Classic National Championships. In the team performance category, IC took third place and followed with an eighth-place finish in poms and ninth in jazz. IC recorded the highest score in program history in all three categories. 

During the 2018-19 year, the cheer and dance teams competed at the NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. The cheer team finished sixth in the Game Day Division II category and the dance team was seventh in the Dance Team Performance III competition.

Laster came to the Hilltop after spending five seasons as the Head Dance Team Coach at Saint Xavier in Chicago. There, she was the main choreographer and oversaw the dance program, ranging from recruitment to fundraising to clinics. She was also integral in preparing the team for local and NAIA dance competitions, as well as coordinating her team’s performances at SXU home games. 

In addition to working at Saint Xavier, Laster has also been the Dance and Cheer Program Manager at the Wheaton Athletic Association and has choreographed routines for North Central College and the Legacy Dance Studio.

Laster is a 2011 graduate of Saint Xavier University.