Courtesy of University of New Hampshire Athletics
DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire has announced that Kristen Maloney, a member of the 2000 Olympic bronze medal-winning United States gymnastics team, has been hired as the assistant women’s gymnastics coach. Maloney joins the staff under 32nd-year head coach Gail Goodspeed and associate head coach Ed Datti.
" The UNH women’s gymnastics family is thrilled to help Kristen Maloney launch her collegiate coaching career," Goodspeed said. " Kristen brings a wealth of experience to the program, and we are very excited to begin the year with her on board."
"I am really excited to be joining the UNH family," Maloney said. " I look forward to working with the team and Gail and Ed, and I want to thank the University for this new and exciting opportunity."
Maloney competed for UCLA from 2001-05 and was a part of national championship teams in ’01, ’03 and ’04. She won the 2005 vault and balance beam gold medals and received the 2005 Honda award for top female gymnast. Maloney competed for the USA Gymnastics national team from 2002-05. In addition to capturing a team bronze medal in the Sydney Olympics, she was the 1998-99 national champion, a 1999 Sullivan Award nominee and was the 1998 USA Gymnastics Sportswoman of the Year.
Most recently, Maloney was a teacher and gymnastics instructor in New York and at Parkettes Gymnastics in Allentown, Pa. She previously performed for Cirque Du Soleil as an acrobat for the act of power track and as the bird and nymph main characters.
Maloney replaces Lindsey Bruck on the UNH gymnastics staff. Bruck is pursuing opportunities to perform for Cirque du Soleil.
" Lindsey will be greatly missed by our program, and we wish her the best of luck in this new venture," Goodspeed said.