Gymnastics
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Craig Ballard is in his 13th season with the Kent State gymnastics team and the Golden Flashes continue to thrive since his arrival on campus.
Ballard was named Associate Head Coach in November 2023.
During the 2023 season, the Flashes continued their excellence on floor under Ballard. 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. 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, Karlie Franz won on floor at the MAC Championships while Rachel DeCavitch finished second in the all-around and was named to the MAC Tournament Team. Franz, DeCavitch, Alyssa 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 on floor 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, who served as the primary coach on vault and floor, while assisting on bars, saw three MAC Champions at the 2015 championships (Rebecca Osmer, Skyelee Lamano and Rachel Stypinski). Osmer win the Mid-American Conference title at the MAC Championships in Kent during the 2015 season, as the team won their 12th title. Ballard had Skyelee Lamano and Rachel Stypinski tie for first and the crown at the championships on the floor with a 9.900. Stypinski went on to the NCAA Regionals in Columbus, Ohio and tied for second with another 9.900.
Kent State experienced outstanding success in 2014 with posting back-to-back undefeated seasons, 2013-2014, in the Mid-American Conference as the regular season champions with a 6-0 conference dual meet record. The Flashes then earned their seventh straight NCAA regional appearance while sending one gymnast to the NCAA national championships to compete in the all-around.
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, Ballard led the Golden Flashes as the MAC's top-ranked team on vault and ranked 28th nationally on floor. Marie Case and Kaitlin Isaacs were ranked 1-2, respectively, on floor in the MAC. Additionally, Rachel Guida won the MAC individual title on bars and was named MAC Specialist of the Year.
In 2012, Ballard served as primary vault coach, while assisting on floor and bars. Rachel Goldenberg was 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.
Prior to his arrival at Kent State, Ballard spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Bowling Green. There, Ballard helped spearhead a turnaround that saw the Falcons go from last place in the Mid-American Conference to fourth and improve seven positions in the final national rankings. He tutored six gymnasts to NCAA Central Regional berths in three years.
Ballard spent the 2008 season as the assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Rhode Island, earning Eastern College Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year honors as the Rams took second place at the conference championships.
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.
A native of Morgantown, W.V., Ballard and his wife, Allyson, have two sons, Reed and Carter Thomas, and live in Stow, Ohio.
Follow Coach Ballard on Twitter @GymCoachCraig.
