The Mountain East Conference has announced its first Acrobatics and Tumbling All-MEC teams along with its top honors for the 2019 season. Fairmont State University Coach Kristi Kiefer of Bridgeport was chosen as the Coach of the Year. 

 

Kiefer heard the news from one of her assistant coaches after it was posted Thursday on the MEC Web site.

 

“I was really excited because you are voted on by your colleagues,” she said. “To know that I am respected by them is very heartwarming. It just means so much.”

 

Kiefer, who also teaches at FSU, has been with the university for 27 years. In the early years, she coached competitive cheer. In the fall of 2010, she organized the school’s Acrobats and Tumbling team, one of only five in the country. There are now more than 30 across the U.S. and this year – the first that acrobats and tumbling is recognized as a conference sport by the MEC – the Lady Falcons have had a banner year.

Kiefer guided Fairmont State’s Acrobats and Tumbling Team to a 6-1 overall record, including a perfect 4-0 mark against MEC competition to earn the league's first regular season title. Additionally, the Falcons are ranked No. 5 in the country in the most recent NCATA rankings.

 

Fairmont State posted a season-high 278.680 in its final meet of the season as it heads into this weekend as the top seed for the MEC Championships. Fairmont State’s meet score of 278.680 is the highest for the program since the 2014 season.

 

Kiefer attributes that success to hard work and chemistry.

 

“It’s the leadership within the team and team chemistry across all levels – from the freshmen up to the seniors,” she said. “I think that’s really important. These girls just really gel.”

 

The news of Kiefer nabbing Acrobats and Tumbling Coach of the Year came on the eve of the sport’s very first conference championship. It all begins this evening at the Feaster Center on the FSU campus.

 

“I’m so over the moon that we actually were selected to host this event on our campus,” said Kiefer, adding that the Coach of the Year award was the icing on the cake.

 

“We’ve been working diligently with our sport and to see it come to fruition is so exciting,” she said. “This is an inaugural event – the first of everything – which makes it an exciting night.”

 

Kiefer will be recognized for earning the accolade likely prior to the commencement of competition.

 

“We will have four top teams competing tonight in semifinals,” she said.

 

At 5 p.m., Glenville and West Virginia Wesleyan – the No. 2 and No. 3 teams – will go head to head and shortly after 7 p.m., the No. 1 FSU will compete against the No. 4 West Liberty.

 

Winners will compete in Saturday’s championship beginning at 4 p.m. Beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, event finals will take place; the top three high scorers from six different schools taking part. FSU qualified for all 15 competitive events.

 

Kiefer teaches through FSU’s School of Education, Health and Human performance, teaching those who plan to work in physical education, as well as gymnastic and dance students.

 

Fairmont State headlined this year’s MEC awards with Karah Naples of Woodbridge, Va. named Athlete of the Year, Kelsey Kyle of Parsons selected as the Specialist of the Year and Catherine Reynolds of Fairfax, Va. tabbed as the Freshman of the Year.

 

Read about other honors HERE at mountaineast.org.

 

This year’s Lady Falcon Acrobats & Tumbling Team consists of Madelyn Strait (Bridgeport High School graduate and Bridgeport resident), Tamara Boles (Bridgeport resident), Caitlyn Faint, Karah Naples, Abby Moreland, Jennifer Tassos, Alexis Allen, Catherine Reynolds, Gabriella Lesko, Kelsey Kyle, Maddie Froman, Alexis Smith, Brionni Dowson, Ansley Froman, Priscilla Richmond, Kandyce Blocker, Phoebe Lewis, Sydney Moore, Madeline Rushing, Kerrigan Johnson, Gemma Cox, Haley Altizer, Alexa Johnson, Allison Butts, Ashley Rebel, Regan Teets, Abagail Settembrino, Mariah Ack and Erica White. Danielle Cutri and Ryan Demary are assistant coaches and Nicole Uccello is graduate assistant coach. (Kiefer and her coaching staff is pictured just above.)

 

Kiefer and her husband Jim live in Bridgeport where they have raised three children - all Bridgeport High School graduates - Kash Kiefer, Kylie Kiefer Bias and Koby Kiefer.