Ballard Promoted to Gymnastics Associate Head Coach
11/14/2023 9:30:00 AM | Gymnastics
Craig Ballard has been named Associate Head Coach of the Kent State gymnastics program after working as an assistant coach since 2012.
"We are really excited to be able to promote Craig to Associate Head Coach," Head Coach Brice Biggin said. "Craig has been so instrumental in our recruiting for the last 12 years and the relationship he has with both the team and the other coaches in the NCAA proves he is ready for this step in his career."
During Ballard's tenure as an assistant coach, he has mentored 16 Mid-American Conference Champions, six MAC Gymnast of the Year winners, three MAC Senior Gymnast of the Year winners, two MAC Freshman Gymnast of the Year winners, and 22 all-conference award recipients.
Ballard currently serves as the primary coach on vault and floor and assists on bars.
During the 2023 season, the Flashes truly excelled on floor. Alyssa Guns earned MAC Specialist of the Week twice thanks to her strong showings on floor while Karlie Franz posted scores of 9.900 or higher in seven of her nine routines in the event. Both qualified for the NCAA Regionals on floor while Rachel DeCavitch qualified in the all-around after placing second with a 39.425 at the MAC Championships and tying for second on both bars and beam. Kyndall Gilbert finished on the podium at the MAC Championships, tying for third on vault.
The Flashes led the MAC and ranked 21st in the country on floor with a 49.310 NQS en route to the MAC regular season title in 2022. Under Ballard, Franz won on floor at the MAC Championships while DeCavitch finished second in the all-around and was named to the MAC Tournament Team. Franz, DeCavitch, Guns, and Sarah Haxton all qualified for the NCAA Regionals, with Franz and Guns competing on floor, Haxton on bars, and DeCavitch in the all-around.
During the 2021 season, the Flashes ranked 18th in the country and second in the Mid-American Conference on floor with a 49.369 NQS - the highest in the program since 2004. Abby Fletcher was named MAC Senior Gymnast of the Year, largely for her outstanding performance on floor. She tied for first place in the conference in the event with an impressive 9.913 NQS. Her efforts earned her All-MAC Second Team honors as well as a spot on the All-MAC tournament team after winning the individual floor title at the conference championships.
In 2019, Dara Williams ranked second in the Mid-American Conference on vault in average under Ballard's assistance. Also under Ballard, Jade Brown and Abby Fletcher tied for the MAC championship on floor.
Ballard saw three MAC Champions at the 2015 championships (Rebecca Osmer, Skyelee Lamano and Rachel Stypinski). Osmer won the Mid-American Conference title at the MAC Championships, helping led the squad to Kent State to its 12th title. Ballard helped guide Skyelee Lamano and Rachel Stypinski to a tie for the floor title at the MAC Championships, with each earning a 9.900. Stypinski went on to the NCAA Regionals and tied for second with another 9.900.
Under his tutelage in 2014, Kent State was ranked 25th nationally on floor and 29th nationally on the vault. Three-time MAC Gymnast of the Year Marie Case was ranked 2nd on the floor exercises in the MAC and 23rd in the nation while Case was ranked 3rd in the MAC for the vault. Additionally, Marie Case tied for first on vault at the MAC Championships.
In 2013, the Golden Flashes finished the season as the MAC's top-ranked team on vault and ranked 28th nationally on floor. Case and Kaitlin Isaacs were ranked 1-2, respectively, in the MAC on floor. Additionally, Rachel Guida won the MAC individual title on bars and was named MAC Specialist of the Year.
Ballard began his career at Kent State in 2012 as the primary vault coach while assisting on floor and bars. Rachel Goldenberg finished as the top-ranked MAC vaulter during the regular season with Case the MAC's top performer on floor. Goldenberg was named MAC Specialist of the Year, while Case won her first MAC Gymnast of the Year title. The Flashes were the 2012 MAC runners-up and finished the campaign ranked 26th nationally.
Ballard got his start in collegiate coaching as a team manager/student coach at West Virginia, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies in 2006, and had stints at both Bowling Green and Rhode Island before coming to Kent State. Ballard earned Eastern College Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2008 at Rhode Island.
The 2023-24 gymnastics season gets underway on Sunday, Dec. 10, when Kent State hosts its annual Blue-Gold Meet at the M.A.C. Center at 1 p.m. The home schedule officially gets underway after the new year when Ballard's alma mater, West Virginia, comes to town on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
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