Cyclone Coach Loses Bet, Sports A Surprising New Hairstyle

The Clearwater-Orchard track coach is now sporting a new hairstyle.

Coach Shannon Schumacher has a mohawk-like haircut that was dyed Cyclone-green, courtesy of his track team.

The new look stemmed from a bet he made earlier this season.

"It all started with one of my freshmen, Kyle Thiele," Schumacher said. "She bet Jagger Smith that if he jumped 6 feet in the high jump, she would shave her head."

When Smith accomplished this feat, he said Thiele changed her mind and kept her locks.

"So, I told them that if we get two girls relay teams down to state, I would let them buzz my hair or give me a mohawk," Schumacher said. "We have never gotten a relay down there as a Cyclone."

He made the bet at the St. Edward track meet back on May 7, but he said it was a bet he thought he would lose.

"It wasn't just a shot in the dark, I thought they had a really good chance to qualify two teams," Schumacher said. "And it gave them something to look forward to."

The Cyclones qualified for state in Class D as wild cards in the 4x800 relay and the 4x100 relay because they have some of the fastest times in the state. Members of the 4x800 relay team - Abbey Kester, Kylie Thiele, Kinzly Macke and Mallory Cooper - ran a 10:28.8 at districts. The 4x100 team of Thiele, Macke, Ryann Ickes and Hannah Rittscher qualified with a time of 52.4 seconds. 

In celebration, Coach Schumacher followed through with his bet. 

At Wednesday's pep rally, he sat in front of the student body in the Clearwater gym while his state track qualifiers buzzed his hair and surprised him with a new haircolor. 

"They said they were going to add a little hairspray," Schumacher said. "I didn't know until they were done that it was actually green hair dye."

He said this is the first time he has agreed to something like this and he's "not sure" if it will be his last.

Schumacher plans to keep the hairstyle for at least the first day of the state track meet, which is this Friday.

Other Cyclone state track qualifiers are Andy Kerkman, Spencer Volden, Blake Kester and Alexis Pokorny.

"I am excited for state," he said. "I think we have a good chance of bringing home a lot of medals."