From left, Lawrence High spirit squad members Kylee Chee, Arianna Powers, coach Gwen Wedd and Nora Steinle pose for a photo on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, at Lawrence High School.

Gwen Wedd and her husband Dirk were driving to Texas to visit their son when she received a phone call. It was from Mike Gillman, who was then the athletic director of Lawrence High School.

“We’re having problems,” he said. “We need somebody to help us out.”

Wedd stepped up to return to a career she thought she left in her past. She received the call in 2021 to return as a temporary coach for the LHS spirit squad, and over three years later, she’s still in the position today.

“It’s important to keep the things we’ve done forever,” Wedd said.

Wedd, also known as “Junior” by LHS peers, had directed the spirit squad from 1990 to 2018. After she stepped away from the team, the program went through a series of coaching changes before Wedd returned to once again lead many of the traditions she had helped establish.

Pack the House is a tradition she started in 1994. It’s an annual event in early December to kick off winter sports, in which athletes perform skits, dances, and more.

“When I was asked to start this, I never thought in a million years that I would still be organizing it 25 years later,” Wedd said. “It means a lot to me that the students still want to be a part of it and that it is just expected to happen.”

Senior cheerleader Nora Steinle praised the event, but also noted that it takes a lot of work.

“Pack the House is our favorite,” she said. “It’s a love-hate relationship. We spend a lot of time perfecting it and putting together a routine. But it’s so rewarding and it does mean a lot to the community.”

While athletic director Patrick Graham has only been at LHS for a year, he has gotten to see why Wedd is such an important figure in the Chesty Lion community. While walking through the hallways, Wedd is constantly recognized by faculty, teachers and students.

“What’s become obvious working with her is the history is very, very important,” Graham said. “She has been a part of keeping some of those traditions that we did back then.”

Wedd focuses on academics just as much as performance. Her team sits at approximately a 3.66 GPA.

“We have athletes that are students first and athletes second,” she said. “Academics are important and our team GPA proves it. It’s awesome to be surrounded by smart, talented, funny, and creative humans.”

Arianna Powers, a senior cheerleader, appreciates Wedd’s encouragement in the classroom.

“She just encourages us to work our hardest, and she is checking up on our grades every once in a while,” Powers said. “If we’re not in the spot we should be, she’ll tell us.”

Graham supports Wedd and her team because of how crucial they are at every event. The spirit squad attends football games, basketball games, and other athletic events.

“They’re a vital part in a game atmosphere,” he said. “They are definitely an essential part of some of the showmanship of high school sports.”

Wedd’s cheerleaders expressed their gratitude for all she does for the team.

“I would have quit a long time ago,” Powers joked. “She’s done everything and sacrificed a lot for our team throughout the years.”

While the return was meant to be temporary, she has become a stable part of the spirit squad members’ lives.

“She’s a familiar face that I’ve been able to have, like a consistency for the team,” senior cheerleader Kylee Chee said.

“Junior has been like my second grandma for all four years that I’ve been here,” Steinle added. “She’s stayed true to us, she won’t leave us.”

In October, Wedd and her husband Dirk were inducted into Lawrence High School’s Hall of Honor. It recognizes graduates from the school and commends them for the impacts they have left.

“It is quite an honor to be on the wall with many legends,” Wedd said. “Our hard work and love of LHS did not go unnoticed.”

Wedd will not only be on the wall of Lawrence High School forever, but also in the hearts of her classmates, coworkers, and athletes for many years to come.

“If we didn’t have Junior, I think our team would have fallen apart,” Chee said.