|
TWU
Home > Student
Life > Athletics > Gymnastics > 8/30/07
LISA KLEIN HIRED AS TWU GYMNASTICS ASSISTANT COACH
 DENTON, Texas (August 30) – Texas Woman’s University Director of Athletics Chalese Connors is pleased to announce the hiring of Lisa Klein (pictured at right) as the Pioneers’ new assistant gymnastics coach.
Klein, who will be TWU’s head beam and floor coach, replaces Jackie Fain as head coach Frank Kudlac’s top assistant. Fain resigned earlier this month to pursue other opportunities.
A 25 year-old native of St. Louis, Missouri, Klein is no stranger to the TWU gymnastics program. She served for the last three seasons (2005-07) as the Pioneer’s graduate assistant coach. In 2006, her coaching efforts helped TWU claim their first-ever Midwest Independent Conference Championship and their eighth USAG National Championship. In 2007, she was chosen as the NCAA Division II Assistant Gymnastics Coach of the Year and the Midwest Independent Conference Co-Assistant Coach of the Year. Additionally, she guided two TWU gymnasts - Courtney Arno in 2006 and Rachel Zimmerman in 2007 - to USAG Individual Event National Championships on beam.
Before coming to TWU, Klein enjoyed an outstanding gymnastics career at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. As a freshman in 2001, she was an integral part of an ISU team that advanced all the way to the NCAA Regionals. After a knee injury sidelined her for the entirety of the 2002 season, she returned to the competition floor and qualified as an individual on beam for the 2003 NCAA Regionals. In 2004, her senior season, she served as the Redbirds’ team captain and once again qualified as a NCAA regional competitor on beam. Klein earned a place in the Illinois State record book when she set (and still holds) the Illinois State beam and floor records with scores of 9.95 on both events.
Klein got her start in gymnastics at GymQuarters in O’Fallon, Missouri where she trained under the direction of Scott Cusimano, who, ironically enough, was the TWU gymnastics assistant coach from 1979-1983.
Klein made her initial foray into coaching as Illinois State’s student-assistant coach in the fall of 2004. She graduated with honors and received her Bachelor’s of Science from Illinois State in December 2004. This past May, she completed her graduate school coursework at TWU and is expected to receive her Master’s of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Nutrition this December.
Kudlac is elated to have Klein remain in Denton with his TWU squad.
“Lisa is a perfect fit for this program and for this team. She was a high-level college gymnast and she has already shown that she is a high-level college gymnastics coach. Her leadership and coaching ability will be invaluable to the success of our team for years to come,” he said.
Klein is looking forward to her opportunity on the Pioneers coaching staff.
“This is a wonderful situation for me,” she explained. “I really feel that TWU is the best place to continue my coaching career. The Pioneers have a rich tradition of excellence in both academics and gymnastics and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
|
