CHAMPAIGN - Illinois women's gymnastics program appointed Aja Sims-Fletcher as an assistant coach. The announcement of the staff addition came Thursday from Fighting Illini head coach Nadalie Walsh.
"From the very first conversation in the hiring process, it was immediately apparent to me that she is a woman of positivity, gratitude, resilience, and excellence," Walsh said yesterday in a statement. "I believe she will connect incredibly well with the student-athletes and will help us continue to cultivate a champion-minded team."
Aja Sims-Fletcher joins the Illinois women's gymnastics program this fall.
Photo provided
Sims-Fletcher joins the Illinois program after serving one year as the first head coach of Talladega College’s women’s gymnastics team. She is the second individual in the history of HBCU athletics to coach gymnastics. In February, the Tornadoes became the first HBCU program to win an NCAA-sanctioned meet, defeating the University of Alaska Anchorage and host Centenary.
Despite Talladega's success, last month Interim president Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough announced the private school's gymnastics program would close two weeks later citing the lack of financial resources to continue.
A standout gymnast at Alabama, Sims-Fletcher holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science, as well as an MBA from the University of Alabama.
She is excited to join the Illini program and looks forward to helping continue the team's success on the national stage.
"I'm honored to join the University of Illinois gymnastics program," said Sims-Fletcher. The Orlando, Fla., native has coached at various levels, including high school, club, and college. She was a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater. "The passion and dedication of the athletes, coaches, and the entire Illini community are truly inspiring. I am excited to work with the team and contribute to our collective goal of achieving excellence, in and out of the gym. This program has a proud tradition of success, and I look forward to starting this new chapter with this amazing team!"
Illustrious - Showcases and the stories behind Illinois’ most iconic high school gyms
CHICAGO - On a quiet Saturday afternoon in January 2012, at the Oak Park-River Forest field house, a simple thought refused to leave Vincent Johnson alone.
Covering a girls basketball game for the Oak Leaves, Johnson found himself looking beyond the box score and into the bones of the building itself. The space was overwhelming in the best way. Big. Empty. Striking. The field house - massive, architectural, overwhelming in character - was alive with echoes. The gym itself demanded his attention.
How good is your next steak? Look closely at the marbling
By Casey Cartwright
A premium steak makes an impression before it even reaches the grill. Fine streaks of fat run through the muscle, creating the visual pattern known as marbling. Those delicate flecks do much more than make a steak look appealing. They influence flavor and tenderness and affect how the beef performs over high heat.
Marbling plays a major role in the experience people expect from premium beef, but understanding it takes more than looking for the fattiest steak in the case. The amount and distribution of intramuscular ...
CHAMPAIGN - Illinois women's gymnastics program appointed Aja Sims-Fletcher as an assistant coach. The announcement of the staff addition came Thursday from Fighting Illini head coach Nadalie Walsh.
"From the very first conversation in the hiring process, it was immediately apparent to me that she is a woman of positivity, gratitude, resilience, and excellence," Walsh said yesterday in a statement. "I believe she will connect incredibly well with the student-athletes and will help us continue to cultivate a champion-minded team."
