Women's Gymnastics Coaching Staff

01/02/00

- Mary Lewis, Head Coach

During Mary Lewis’ 14-year tenure as the head women’s gymnastics coach at William and Mary, the Tribe program has been distinguished for both its competitive success in the gym and academic excellence in the classroom. Distinctions have come in the form of four Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships and multiple national scholar-athlete citations year-in and year-out, validating the fact that, under Lewis’ watch, Tribe gymnasts have epitomized the definition of student-athletes.

Following the 2006 season, Lewis was recognized by her peers as the ECAC Coach of the Year for the second time in her career, after the Tribe earned a second-place finish at the ECAC Championship, the team’s best finish since winning three-straight league titles from 2001 to 2003. Lewis also saw Tribe gymnasts earn 11 all-conference awards, including an individual vault conference title by Brittany Gibbs. Additionally, Christina Padilla was honored as the ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year, while seven gymnasts earned ECAC All-Academic Team honors.

Last season, for the fourth time in her career, Lewis sent two gymnasts to the NCAA Southeast Regional, as current seniors Tricia Long and Stevie Waldman each qualified as individual participants for the competition. Long made her second career appearance at Regionals as an all-arounder, while Waldman became the 10th different Tribe gymnast under Lewis to reach Regionals.

W&M also made its second-straight appearance in the USAG Collegiate Nationals in 2007, and the Tribe once again took home a number of individual honors. Waldman and Padilla earned USAG First-Team All-America honors with Waldman getting the distinction on floor and Padilla receiving the accolades on both vault and bars. Additionally, current senior Tricia Long (all-around) and current sophomore Ali Medeiros (bars) were named USAG Second-Team All-Americans. In 2006, the Tribe made its first trip to USAGs under Lewis, earning a fourth-place finish in the team competition. Tribe gymnasts garnered nine different USAG All-America honors, including Gibbs and Jess Randall, who shared the USAG individual national championships in the floor exercise.

Under Lewis’ tutelage, five gymnasts in the last four seasons have competed in NCAA Regionals, including Long and Waldman last season. The 2005 ECAC Rookie of the Year, Long also competed as an individual all-arounder in the 2005 Regional. Suzanne Chaves (‘04) and Emma Cross (‘05) competed in a NCAA Regional in 2004. Since taking over the program in 1995, Lewis has coached 10 different gymnasts to 14 total NCAA appearances.

In 2005, Padilla captured the ECAC individual vault title, while six other Tribe gymnasts received all-conference recognition under Lewis’ guidance. In total, Lewis’ gymnasts have claimed 15 individual ECAC titles, while Lewis has led the squad to four ECAC titles. Lewis earned her first ECAC Coach of the Year honor in 2003, after W&M captured its third consecutive title.

In addition to success in the gym, Lewis has stressed academics. That is evident each year when the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches honors student-athletes for superb academic performances. Last season, three more Tribe gymnasts earned NACGC national scholar-athlete awards, including Padilla who posted a team-best 4.00 GPA, Waldman and Randall. Over the last three seasons, 10 Tribe gymnasts have earned the honor.

Lewis has been coaching collegiate gymnastics since 1991, when she was the head coach at Longwood College for the 1991-92 season. She joined the staff at James Madison University in 1992 and served as a graduate assistant until 1994, before taking over the program at the College.

Lewis graduated Magna Cum Laude from CNU in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in governmental administration and public management. She completed her master’s degree at JMU in kinesiology and adult fitness in May of 1994, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

Lewis spends her summers working at the Woodward Gymnastics Camp in Woodward, Pa., organizing weekly schedules for campers ranging in levels from beginner to elite. She resides in Newport News with her 12-year-old son, Zachary.

Jamie Weinfeldt, Assistant Coach

William and Mary head women’s gymnastics coach Mary Lewis announced the hiring of 2004 graduate Jamie Weinfeldt as an assistant coach in September of 2007.

Weinfeldt brings an extensive background in training and administration and will primarily handle coaching the beam line-up, recruiting and strength and conditioning. Weinfeldt will also assist Lewis in coaching the floor exercise.

“I'm very excited to have Jamie join the program,” said Lewis. “As a William and Mary graduate, she understands what it takes and what it truly means to be a student-athlete here. Her drive and passion for the program are just as strong as when she was a William and Mary gymnast.”

Weinfeldt returns to Williamsburg after completing graduate work at the George Washington University, where she earned a Master’s of Science Degree in Exercise Science in May. While at GW, Weinfeldt was a graduate assistant for the Lerner Health and Wellness Center, while also serving as the Colonials women’s gymnastics meet director the past two years.

As the program’s meet director, she acted as a liaison between the coaching staff and officials and handled all aspects of meet organization. Weinfeldt held a similar position at Penn State during the 2005 competitive season.

Her primary responsibility as a graduate assistant at GW was personal training, designing and implementing individualized exercise programs for clients of all ages and physical abilities. Weinfeldt’s duties also included many administrative responsibilities, including supervising the undergraduate fitness center at GW, scheduling activities and student workers and marketing programs that promoted health and fitness on campus.

Weinfeldt was also an adjunct faculty member of the Department of Exercise Science, teaching undergraduate courses in the basics of resistance training and aerobic conditioning.

During her time in Northern Virginia, Weinfeldt also taught gymnasts of all levels at the Chantilly Academy of Gymnastics. She has also spent time during her summers working at the Woodward Gymnastics Camp in Pennsylvania supervising staff members and instructing gymnasts.

A native of New Jersey, Weinfeldt graduated from the College with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and helped lead the Tribe to three consecutive ECAC Championships from 2001-03. Weinfeldt was an ECAC Individual Champion on beam in 2001 and is the only Tribe gymnast ever to record two scores of 9.900 in the event. She qualified for the NCAA Southeast Regional as a freshman in 2001 and was a NACGC Scholastic All-American.