Beach Named MAC Coach of the Year
March 23, 2013 | Gymnastics
Kalamazoo, Mich. - Bowling Green State University head gymnastics coach Kerrie Beach was named Coach of the Year at the 2013 Mid-American Conference Championships, as two Falcons took home MAC titles en route to a fifth-place overall finish.
This year marks Beach's first time earning the honor, after taking over the program in 2008. Beach joins former coaches Charles Simpson (1983) and Dan Connelly (2002, 1999, 1997) in winning the award.
"I was overwhelmed by emotion," Beach said. "I really share that award with [assistant coaches] Taylor Jones and Chad Wiest. I couldn't do any of this without them. It's really a 'coaching staff of the year' award if you ask me. I'm just thankful to my colleagues who chose to recognize the fact that our program's improving. I'm quite humbled by it."
Beach's award is representative of the strides her teams have taken in the last two years. Her teams have been among the most improved in the MAC, with regional qualifying scores rising from 190.865 in 2011 to 193.630 in 2012. This year, the team's RQS improved to 194.035, as the Falcons notched three scores above 194.500, including a season-high 195.175 on March 16. The team also outperformed last year's 1-5 record against MAC teams, finishing with the third-best record this season (3-3).
Bowling Green placed fifth as a team at this year's MAC Championships, as Jamilah Ali (vault) and Alyssa Nocella (balance beam) won individual titles. Those two athletes became the second and third MAC champions that Beach has coached, as Dawn Christman won the floor exercise title in 2010.
With just two routines lost after this season, the future continues to look bright for BGSU gymnastics under Beach.