USA Gymnastics announces 2015 Hall of Fame Class

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 9, 2014 — Nine individuals, representing six different gymnastics disciplines, comprise the 2015 class of inductees for the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. The six athletes and coach are: Kristin Allen of Livermore, Calif., and Michael Rodrigues of Livermore, Calif., acrobatic gymnastics; Mohini Bhardwaj of Los Angeles, women’s gymnastics; Jessica Howard of Jacksonville, Fla., rhythmic gymnastics; Terin Humphrey of Kansas City, Mo., women’s gymnastics; Jennifer Sans of Burnsville, Minn., trampoline and tumbling; and Mark Williams of Norman, Okla., men’s gymnastics coach. Men’s gymnastics judge and administrator Doug Hills of Portland, Ore., and the late David Moskovitz, gymnastics for all and USA Gymnastics administrator, are the final members of the Class of 2015 who are receiving Lifetime Achievement honors. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, during the 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships and USA Gymnastics National Congress & Trade Show in Indianapolis.

"This is an incredible group of individuals, who have contributed to gymnastics in a variety of ways – from the competition floor to the judges’ table and as a USA Gymnastics administrator,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Congratulations to all of our inductees, and thank you for your contributions to our great sport."

Kristin Allen and Michael Rodrigues, acrobatic gymnastics Allen and Rodrigues trained together at West Coast Training Center under head coach Marie Annonson. They won the USA’s first World Games gold medal in acrobatic gymnastics as a mixed pair in 2009. In 2010, they again proved to be the best in the world, taking the gold medal at the World Championships. Previously, they captured the silver medal at the 2008 World Championships. Domestically, the duo won national titles in 2008 and 2010. Following the 2010 Worlds, Allen and Rodrigues were a featured hand-to-hand act in Cirque du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” in Las Vegas. They were the U.S. acro Athletes of the Year in 2009. Allen has recently appeared on the BBC show “Tumble,” as well as on Broadway in “Pippin.” Rodrigues, who has been on the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors as an athlete representative since 2009, recently resumed training and plans to compete at the 2016 World Championships.
Mohini Bhardwaj, women’s gymnastics Bhardwaj was the team captain of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team that won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. At the Olympic Games, she advanced to the floor exercise final where she finished seventh. In 2004, Bhardwaj was coached by Chris Waller and trained at All-Olympia Gymnastic Center. She was a member of the U.S. Teams for the World Championships in 2001, where the USA won the bronze medal, and 1997. In 2001, she won the U.S. national title on vault. At the NCAA level, Bhardwaj competed for the University of California-Los Angeles from 1998-2001. During her time as a Bruin, the school won back-to-back team titles (2000-01), and she received both the AAI Award and Honda Award in her senior year. She also earned 11 All-American citations during her collegiate career and was recently inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame. Currently, Bhardwaj-Barry owns, operates and serves as club director for Oregon Olympic Athletics. A coach for more than 15 years, she holds the U.S. brevet judges rating.
Jessica Howard, rhythmic gymnastics Howard won three consecutive U.S. rhythmic all-around titles from 1999-2001. In addition, she won 12 individual event national titles as a senior, including a sweep of all four apparatus in 2000. On the international stage, Howard won the ball title and finished second in the all-around and ribbon competitions at the 1999 Pan American Games. She also was a member of the U.S. Team for the 1999 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. At the 2001 World Games, she recorded top eight finishes on all four events. At the 2002 Pacific Alliance Championships, she helped Team USA to the gold medal and took individual medals in the all-around (silver), clubs (silver), hoop (silver) and rope (bronze). Efrossina Anguelova trained Howard at International Rhythmic Gymnastics in Jacksonville, Fla. She retired from competition in 2003 and served on the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors as an athlete representative for six years. Howard performed on Broadway and toured, as well as worked as a talk radio producer for WABC, before founding Ballet Extensions., which helps students achieve flexibility and strength to meet the physical demands of dance. Today, Howard is a stretch and conditioning specialist for several organizations in New York City, including Gelsey Kirkland Academy, Steps, Complexions, Premiere Academy and Ellison Ballet.
Terin Humphrey, women’s gymnastics Along with Bhardwaj, Humphrey was a member of the silver-medal-winning 2004 U.S. Olympic Team and also won the silver medal on the uneven bars. At the Olympics, she competed a triple turn in squat position on the balance beam, which was named "The Humphrey." Humphrey helped make history as a member of the 2003 U.S. World Championships Team. Her floor routine in the final rotation helped lift Team USA to its first-ever World team title. She was also a member of the U.S. Team for the 2002 World Championships. Humphrey was the first Olympian to compete for the University of Alabama, where her team finished second in her freshman year. She claimed the NCAA title on the uneven bars in 2005 and 2007 and was an 11-time All-American. As an elite gymnast, Humphrey was coached by Al and Armine Fong at Great American Gymnastics Express. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 as part of the 2003 World Team. Originally elected in 2009, Humphrey continues to serve as the athlete representative on the women’s program’s Athlete Selection Committee. She is a current member of USA Gymnastics’ Athletes’ Council (dating back to 2009) and was a member of the Board of Directors from 2009-12. Humphrey recently retired from the Raymore police force and is coaching and choreographing in the Kansas City area at Xtreme Gymnastics, Edge Gymnastics and Arising Stars Gymnastics. She also competed on “American Ninja Warrior” in seasons 7 and 8.
Jennifer Sans, trampoline and tumbling Sans won three World Championships gold medal for double mini-trampoline: 1996, individual; and 1994 and 1996, team. In addition, she was also a member of the U.S. Team for the World Championships in 1999, where she helped the United States to a sixth place finish in trampoline. Sans also was the silver medalist in both individual trampoline and synchronized trampoline at the 1993 Indo Pacific Games. In 1994-95 World Cup competition, she placed eighth in individual trampoline and sixth in synchro. At the national level, Sans won six individual trampoline titles (1992-96, 1999) and two silver medals (1997-98). She also was the women’s national double mini-trampoline champ four times (1993-95, 1997). She was coached by Larry Gleason and trained at Gleason’s Gymnastic School in Eagan, Minn. Currently, Sans resides in Burnsville, Minn., with her husband and three children, and is an associate publisher at MSP Communications in Minneapolis.
Mark Williams, men’s gymnastics Williams has served as the head coach of the University of Oklahoma’s men’s gymnastics team since 2000. In that time, Williams has captured five NCAA team titles (2002-03, 2005-06, 2008). Under Williams’ guidance, the Sooners have achieved impressive results: 28 individual national titles, 155 All-America honors, 12 conference team titles, 50 individual conference winners and three Nissen Emery Award recipients (Steven Legendre, 2011; Jonathan Horton, 2008; and Daniel Furney, 2003). Williams has also served as member of the U.S. coaching staff at each of the past three Olympic Games, serving as the personal coach for Guard Young (2004), Horton (2008) and Jake Dalton (2012). He was the assistant coach at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Williams has also been a member of the coaching staff at 11 World Championships, most recently serving as head coach of the 2014 World Championships Team that won the team bronze medal. He has twice (2009, 2006) been named the USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year. Williams continues to serve as Oklahoma’s men’s gymnastics head coach in Norman, Okla.
Doug Hills, men’s gymnastics, Lifetime Achievement Hills has been an International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) brevet-rated judge since 1980. A judge since 1966, Hills has evaluated gymnasts at competitions around the world, including the 2014 Pan American Championships, the 2011 Pan American Games and the 1990 Goodwill Games. He has served as a judge at each of the last three U.S. Olympic Team Trials and at the U.S. Championships more than 20 times. As an administrator, Hills has been part of the National Gymnastics Judges Association’s governing board since 1996 and is NGJA director-at-large. He designed and developed the software series “Gymnastics Gold ” and helped create software utilized for continuing education by the FIG in all six of its disciplines. In 1990, he received the Frank J. Cumiskey Service Award for his judging contributions to the U.S. Men’s Junior Olympic Program. As an athlete, he was a collegiate gymnast at San Jose State College from 1966-1970 and coached the team from 1970-71. Currently, Hills lives in Portland, Ore., where he runs his software business, Sports Training Systems, and continues to judge gymnastics competitions.
David Moskovitz, gymnastics for all, Lifetime Achievement Moskovitz participated in gymnastics at every level: gymnast, coach, judge, gym club owner, author, sports administrator and educator. As director of membership for USA Gymnastics, Moskovitz helped pioneer many programs that still exist today, including World Gymnaestrada participation and safety certification programs, to name a few. He held a brevet judges rating in men’s gymnastics and also was a rhythmic gymnastics judge. In 1994, he was the editor of the “USA Gymnastics Safety Manual.” As an athlete, he was a member of the 1985 Big Ten and NCAA Championships winning teams at Ohio State University and earned All-America honors in 1981. Moskovitz passed away in 2003, and is survived by his wife Lynn Moskovitz Thompson and daughter Molly.