Kristin Montero was named as the head gymnastics coach at Illinois State on Monday by Director of Athletics Perk Weisenburger.
Im really excited about this great opportunity and the chance to do some new and different things with this program, Montero said. I think the girls are ready for something new and I think we can some good things here.
Montero, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, returns to the coaching profession after a one-year hiatus at LifeStart Wellness Network in Chicago, where shes been the general manager since July of 2002. She also has five years of collegiate coaching experience under her belt as an assistant coach for the womens gymnastics team at the University of Illinois.
At LifeStart Wellness Network, Montero managed the operational and administrative aspects of the wellness center. She was also responsible for coordinating programs including weight management and fitness studies.
Montero competed as a gymnast at Illinois from 1995-98, where she earned three varsity letters. She captained the squad in 1998 and was named Most Valuable Gymnast that year. Montero was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and participated in the Hometown Heroes program, where student-athletes address elementary school students on important issues.
After graduating in 1999 with a B.S. in Kinesiology, Montero remained at Illinois as an assistant gymnastics coach. As an assistant, she worked primarily with choreography on the floor and the beam, while also serving as the teams personal trainer.
Were excited about adding Kristin to our staff, Weisenburger said. She has experience in the sport of gymnastics as a student-athlete, coach and choreographer. Kristin is a great addition to Illinois State and we look for her to continue the success of our gymnastics program."
During her time at Illinois, Montero also worked for the Division of Campus Recreation. Her role as a group exercise leader included instructing participants in aerobic and strength exercise in a group environment as well as teaching individuals about physical activity, health and wellness. Montero earned her masters degree in Psychophysiology of Exercise from Illinois in 2002.
Even after leaving the coaching profession, Montero remained committed to gymnastics. She has continued her work as a camp counselor at the University of Illinois Summer Camps since the summer of 1995. Monteros role at the camp is teaching basic to advanced skills and techniques to gymnasts age 6 to 18. Shes also an independently contracted choreographer.
Health and fitness are two of Monteros primary interests as is clear by her work as an intern with Carle Heart Center-Cardiac Rehabilitation, as a laboratory assistant for Dr. Steven Petruzello in Champaign, Ill., as an aquatic therapy technician with Carle Therapy Services and as an intern in Personal Performance-Kinesiotherapy.
Montero inherits a team that finished with a 5-16 record last season and garnered a fifth-place finish at the Midwest Independent Championships. She replaces Beth Larson, who served as head coach for the past two seasons.
