Pitt Gymnastics Names Terry Karwoski Assistant Coach
9/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Sept. 8, 2009
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PITTSBURGH -
Pitt gymnastics head coach Debbie Yohman is pleased to announce the hiring of Terry Karwoski as an assistant gymnastics coach for the Panthers.
"I am thrilled to be bringing Terry Karwoski on board to join our staff," Yohman said. "She brings not only coaching skills but experience in all areas of NCAA gymnastics. Plus, Terry is a very positive and upbeat person. She will be able to step right in and get busy -- in the gym and on the recruiting trail, as we strive to achieve an EAGL Championship."
Karwoski, who served as head coach at Western Michigan for the past 13 years, joins Yohman, who is entering her 24th season at the helm of Pitt's program, and Mike Rowe, who is in his fifth season. Completing the staff will be 2009 Pitt graduate, and EAGL (Eastern Atlantic Gymnastics League) bar champion Alix Croop, who will be serving as a volunteer assistant, while working towards her Master's degree at Chatham College.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Pitt gymnastics staff," Karwoski said. "I have been extremely impressed with the positive environment and the quality of life that Pitt fosters for its student-athletes and I can't wait to get started.
"I am really looking forward to joining Debbie and (assistant coach) Mike (Rowe) and bringing my 13 years of experience as a head coach to the Pitt program. Debbie has set outstanding goals for this program and I am ready to step in and help achieve those goals."
During her time as head coach at Western Michigan, Karwoski helped lead her squad to a Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament title in 2006, and was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2006.
In the classroom, Karwoski's student-athletes excelled as well. Western Michigan received NCAA recognition for a perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) score in 2008 and 12 of her student-athletes have been named as NACGC/W Athletic-Academic All-Americans.
Karwoski originally hails from Doylestown, Pa., where she began gymnastics at Central Bucks. She later trained at Berks gymnastics, from where she was recruited to compete for Western Michigan. Karwoski will join her husband, Chris, at Pitt. Chris was named as an assistant men's soccer coach for the Panthers in the spring of 2009.