INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 4, 2011 – Five athletes and one coach comprise the 2011 class of inductees for the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame: 1972 Olympian Jim Culhane of Tomball, Texas (men’s gymnastics); six-time world tumbling champion Jill Hollembeak of Chicago; 1992 Olympian Tamara Levinson of Los Angeles (rhythmic gymnastics); 2000 Olympic team bronze-medalists Kristen Maloney of Dover, N.H., and Elise Ray of Reisterstown, Md., and 1988 Olympian Chelle Stack of Clermont, Fla. (women’s gymnastics); and coach Stacy Maloney of New Berlin, Wis., who coached 2004 Olympic all-around champion Paul Hamm and his twin brother Morgan, both of whom competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.
"Congratulations to the 2011 inductees, who are being recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to gymnastics," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "Their contributions over the years have helped weave the rich tapestry of USA Gymnastics."
The 2011 USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame luncheon and induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 19, as part of the USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show in Saint Paul, Minn., which is held in conjunction with the 2011 Visa Championships. Click here for a ticket order form.
The USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more information, click here.
| James "Jim" Culhane, men’s gymnastics. Culhane, who competed for 19 years (1957-76), was a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team and the 1971 Pan American Games Team. His international experience also included competing in dual meets against the Soviet Union, Hungary, China, Romania and Germany. He finished seventh at the 1968 Olympic Trials. He competed in the AAU and U.S. Gymnastics Federation national championships from 1965-75 and was a member of the U.S. National Team for 11 years. Culhane competed in collegiate gymnastics for Pennsylvania State University from 1962-65, winning the team championship in 1965. He went on to graduate school at Southern Connecticut State College. He served as an assistant coach at both Southern Connecticut and the U.S. Military Academy, as well as the head women’s coach at East Stroudsburg State College and California State University at Northridge. He is a retired teacher and currently teaches boys gymnastics at Texas Star Gymnastics. He most recently helped set a world record for the largest formation of Skydivers over Sixty. |  |
| Jill Hollembeak, tumbling. Hollembeak, who trained at the Gymnastics Academy of Rockford (Ill.), had a successful national and international tumbling career. In power tumbling, she was a three-time World champion (1982, 1984 and 1986); three-time member of a U.S. Team that won the World team title (1982, 1984 and 1986); and five-time national champion (1982-86). In platform tumbling, Hollembeak was a five-time World medalist (1983-87) and U.S. champion (1983-87). She earned a gymnastics scholarship to Illinois State University and was Athlete of the Year for the 1990-91 school year. She also received the Laurie Mabry Award in 1991. Hollembeak coached for five years at ISU. She currently works as an assistant director of athletics academic advising at DePaul University and is pursuing a doctorate in education. She has been inducted into the World Acrobatics Society Gallery of Legends. |  |
| Tamara Levinson, rhythmic gymnastics. A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Levinson is one of the highest ranked rhythmic gymnasts in U.S. history. To assist in her training, Levinson’s parents opened Rhythmflex in Rockville, Md. Levinson made her mark in the senior division when she earned one of the USA’s two spots to compete in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, where she made her international debut at just 16 years of age. She went on to finish 19th at the 1992 World Rhythmic Championships. Levinson was the 1993-94 U.S. champion and competed in the 1993 World Championships. Following a brief break, Levinson helped the USA win the team gold medal at the 1995 Pan American Games, where she also won the gold medal for ribbon, the all-around silver medal and bronze medals for rope, ball and clubs. She was coached by Catherine Yakimovich. Levinson retired from competition in 1995 and went on to perform in many different shows in New York, including three Madonna world tours and two off-Broadway hits. She was part of the creative process and danced in Twyla Tharp’s "The Times, They Are A-Changin’." Levinson currently is choreographing for major artists and making films with her partner Daniel Cloud Campos. |  |
| Kristen Maloney, women’s gymnastics. Maloney was a member of the U.S. Olympic Women’s Team that won the team bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Her successful elite career included: 1998-99 U.S. all-around champion; team and all-around titles at the 1998 Pacific Alliance Championships; vault gold and all-around silver medals at the 1999 International Team Championships; and a balance beam gold medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Her gym club was Parkettes and she was coached by Bill and Donna Strauss. Maloney was a member of the U.S. Team for the 1997 and 1999 World Championships and advanced to the event finals in the all-around (13th) and balance beam (seventh). Maloney competed for UCLA from 2001-05, helping the Bruins win the NCAA team title in 2001 and 2003-04. She won the NCAA’s 2005 vault and balance beam gold medals and received the 2005 Honda Award for top female gymnast. Maloney was a 1999 Sullivan Award nominee and was the 1998 USA Gymnastics Sportswoman of the Year. She recently became an assistant coach for the women’s gymnastics team at the University of New Hampshire. |  |
| Stacy Maloney, coach. Maloney is best known for coaching Paul and Morgan Hamm. He started coaching the twins when they were 7 years old and continued for 13 years. The Hamms were both members of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Teams, helping the USA to claim the team silver medal in 2004. Paul Hamm became the first U.S. man to win both the World and Olympic all-around gold medals in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Paul Hamm also won the 2003 World floor exercise title. Maloney was an assistant coach for the 2003 U.S. Men’s World Championships Team, which earned the team silver medal, and the head coach for the 2003 Senior Pacific Alliance Championships, where the USA won the team gold.. He was voted the 1999 and 2004 U.S. Men’s Coach of the Year and the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Gymnastics Coach of the Year for 2000. Maloney has served as a member of the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for the U.S. Elite Men’s Coaching Association. He also was a member of the Junior National Age Group Competition Committee; the junior national coaching staff; the Men’s Program Committee; the Junior Olympic Program Committee; and the men’s 2007 World Championships and 2008 Olympic Selection Committees. He was a two-time U.S. Senior National Team Member and a top NCAA gymnast while competing for Iowa State University, where he earned a BA in marketing. He coached and trained at the University of Illinois from 1982-85, where he earned his MBA in finance and helped coach 1988 Olympian and national all-around champion Charlie Lakes. |  |
| Elise Ray, women’s gymnastics. Ray was the captain of the U.S. Olympic Women’s Team that won the team bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. She trained with Kelli Hill at Hill’s Gymnastics and was a member of the national team from 1996-2001. In 2000, Ray won the all-around at the Pacific Alliance Championships, U.S. Olympic Trials and U.S. Championships. She also won the all-around at the 1999 World Team Trials. Ray, who has three skills for the uneven bars named after her, was a member of the 1999 World Championships Team and helped the U.S. Team win the team titles at the 1997 International Team Championships and 1998 and 2000 Pacific Alliance Championships, where she also won individual medals. She competed for the University of Michigan, graduating in 2005. Ray won NCAA titles in all-around in 2001, the balance beam in 2002 and the uneven bars in 2004. She made the All-Big 10 Team Honors in 2001-02 and 2004-05 and was a 14-time All-American. She was Michigan’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2004. Ray performed in "O" and "LOVE" for Cirque du Soleil and currently is coaching, working at camps, and commentating for the Big 10 Network and CBS Sports (2011 NCAA Championships). |  |
| Chelle Stack, women’s gymnastics. Stack was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team that placed fourth at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. She won the U.S. title for the uneven bars in 1988-89. Her other top finishes at the nationals include second on floor in 1989, third on floor in 1988 and tied for third on the uneven bars in 1991. Stack was fifth in the all-around at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials and 1989 World Championships Team Trials. She represented the USA at the 1989 World Championships, where the team was fourth. At the 1991 Pan American Games, Stack helped the USA to the team title, as well as won the floor exercise and was second in the all-around. Her international success also included winning vault at the 1991 USA-Romania dual meet; fourth in the all-around at the 1989 French International Competition; and winning the floor title at the 1988 American Cup, where she also was third in the all-around, vault and balance beam. She trained with Martha and Bela Karolyi, SCATS and Cypress Academy. Stack attended the University of Oklahoma for two years and appeared in the Cirque du Soleil show at Walt Disney World. In addition to owning Chelle Stack’s Gymnastics in Winter Park, Fla., she has earned a brevet rating as a judge and works major USA Gymnastics competitions. Stack is engaged to be married to Robert Marcella in June. |  |