Rutgers Gymnastics Hires Assistant Coaches
Aug 11 | Women's Gymnastics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (August 11, 2011) – Rutgers gymnastics has hired Kera Bolen and Umme Salim-Beasley as assistant coaches, first-year head coach Lou Levine announced Thursday. Both will begin their position immediately.
“It is nice to have our coaching staff in place,” said Levine. “These are two up and coming coaches who were student-athletes at Division I programs and I am excited to have both of them join the program. They each bring different types of experiences and combining them with mine, we can help take the program to the next level.”
| Salim-Beasley |
Salim-Beasley brings impressive credentials to Rutgers, having competed collegiately at West Virginia, an East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) member, from 1995 to 1998. A native of Pasadena, Md., she was a two-time national qualifier at Hill’s Gymnastic Training Center in Gaithersburg, Md. before earning a full scholarship to West Virginia University.
Making an impact right away, Salim-Beasley was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year as a freshman and earned spots on the All-EAGL first team in all-around, bars and beam her sophomore and junior seasons. She finished off her career by being named the EAGL Gymnast of the Year and Most Outstanding Senior Gymnast in her final season in Morgantown in addition to winning the EAGL all-around, bar and beam titles that year. Her accomplishments also ranked her as the fifth-best gymnast in the country and as a finalist for the AAI Award in 1998.
After graduating from West Virginia with a B.A. in Early Childhood Education, she went into coaching, starting as an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania in 1999. During her one season there, the team won the Ivy League Championships in addition to an undefeated regular season, breaking team records in every event. Salim-Beasley returned to Morgantown as a volunteer assistant coach in 2006-07.
“Umme brings the experience of being an elite level gymnast in addition to coaching experience from beginner all the way to the elite level and college level,” said Levine. “I am very excited to have her as an assistant here at Rutgers.”
For the past three years, she coached the Severna Park High School gymnastics team to two county championships, including an undefeated regular season in her first year. Additionally, she coached two different gymnasts to all-around championships.
Salim-Beasley also was a teacher at Eagle Cove School in Pasadena, Md. for four years and is working towards a M.A. in Education from West Virginia University.
| Bolen |
Bolen was a standout gymnast at the collegiate level. She comes to New Brunswick after spending the last two years as a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, Oregon State. A four-year letterwinner for the Beavers, she started as a walk-on, earning a scholarship by the end of her freshman year to eventually being named a captain as a junior.
“Kera comes from a top-level program with experience that is going to help our program,” said Levine. “I look forward to her contributions this year.”
During her two years as a volunteer assistant coach in Corvallis, Bolen assisted the team with its strength and conditioning assignments, providing assistance with coaching on all four events with an emphasis on the balance beam.
A native of Lake Oswego, Ore., Bolen earned a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise and Sport Science, with a minor in Psychology in 2009 from OSU. She was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection and earned honors as a Scholastic All-American.
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