| Program Directors |
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RALPH DRUECKE
Boys Developmental Director
Owner and operator of Salto for 30 years. A graduate of UW-LaCrosse,
BS 1970, MS 1977-Physical Education. Nine years of teaching physical
education at Homestead in Mequon, WI; coach of the boys gymnastic
team, winning 4 WIAA State Championships; coach of the Salto boys
teams, winning Class 1 & 2 State Champs in 1980 thru 1984, 1988,
1990 and 1991 thru 1993, Class 6 State Champs in 1994 & 1995 and
Region 4 Class 6 Champions-1995. USGF Region 4 Men's Program
Director from 1984-1996 and USAG Safety Certified; Coach of 1986
Olympic Sports Festival.
JAMES MELCAREK
Girls Competitive Team Director-Levels 7-10
Owner and operator of Salto for 30 years. A graduate of UW-La Crosse
with a double major in Physical Education and Health Education. He
was a former coach for many State Championship teams at all Levels.
He has coached USAG competitors at the National and regional Levels.
USAG Safety Certified. He currently coaches our Tiny Tot,
Developmental, Home School, High School and Cheer/tumbling classes.
LYNNELL PETERSON
Girls Developmental Director-Waukesha
Girls Competitive Team Director-Levels 1-6
Owner and operator of Salto for 30 years. Girls gymnastics coach at
Sussex Hamilton High School from 1974-1977. She currently coaches
girls Developmental classes. She was a former USAG Team 4-6 coach.
USAG Team 7 State Champions in 1980-1986, 1988, 1995. USAG Team 4
State Champions in 1998 and 2000. USAG Team 6 Champions in 2000.
USAG Safety Certified. She currently coaches some developmental
classes.
DR. JAMES CHUDY (J.C.)
Girls Optional & TOPS Program Director
A graduate of Palmer Chiropractic College, D.C. 1983. He is the
coach of the Optional and TOP's (Talent Opportunity Program)
gymnasts. J.C. has coached competitions nationally and
internationally with all of his elite gymnasts. The international
flags in the gym represent the countries in which J.C. and Salto's
Elite National Team Members have attended. J.C. was the coach of a
World Champion and Olympic Alternate. J.C. is USAG Safety Certified
and has been coaching at Salto for 22 years. He currently coaches
all of our TOP's and optional girls teams.
MITCH CONNOR
Boys Competitive Team Director
A former member of the Virgin Island National Team. Competed in the
1983, 1987, and 1991 Pan American Games, as well as the 1982 and
1986 Central American Games. A former member of the University of
Iowa Men's Gymnastics Team from 1988-1992. Boys team coach of the
Hawkeye Gymnastic Training Center from 1990-1995. Currently coaches
all levels, including qualifying athletes to the J.O. National
Championships and the AAU National Championships.
CRISSY DRUECKE
Tiny Tot Director-Brookfield
A four-year scholarship athlete at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, where her team won the Big 8 Championships three
times. She received her B.S. in Physical Education in 1980. Head
Coach of Brookfield Central's Girls Gymnastics Team from 1981-1984.
Crissy has been an instructor for Salto since 1984. She currently
teaches Tiny Tot and Developmental classes.
BETH ETTL
Tiny Tot Director-Waukesha
Beth graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1982 with a B.A. in marketing.
She worked in the marketing business for twelve years before
“retiring” into the child-rearing years. Beth has had extensive
dance training in ballet, tap, and jazz throughout her years. Beth
brought her daughter to Salto in 1993, and she is now a nationally
competitive Level 10 gymnast. Beth is also the Birthday Party
Coordinator at the Waukesha facility. She teaches our Tiny Tot
classes.
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Dance Instructors |
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Lynn Clemence - Program Director -
Brookfield
Lynn has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She later became a
member of the Midwest Connection Dance Company and the SPLASH dance
team of the Milwaukee WAVE professional soccer team. Lynn's teaching
background includes tap, jazz, classical ballet, lyrical ballet,
pointe, hip-hop, ballroom and Broadway performance. Lynn was named
the best studio director at Thunder Struck regional dance
competition in April of 2008.
Kristyn Harris - Program Director - Waukesha
Kristyn competed for and has choreographed nationally award winning
dance teams. She attended UW-Stevens Point, where she majored in
dance and was on the dance team. She taught, directed and
choreographed for Just For Kix, Inc. for 3 years and American
All-Star Inc. for 4 years. Kristyn danced professionally in Farrago,
a jazz-modern company, as well as the Bauer Contemporary Ballet. She
has also judged dance on state and national levels.
Stephanie Grantham - Stephanie has been dancing ballet since
she was 5 years old at the Milwaukee Ballet. She went to the
Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where she spent 4 years of dance
training in Modern, Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary and Improvisation. In
2006-2007 she became a trainee for the Milwaukee Ballet. She began
teaching dance at Salto in September of 2007.
Katie Thorne - Katie began dancing at the age of three. She
was trained in ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz and tap; however, her
strengths are tap and lyrical. Katie graduated from Carroll College
with a Psychology major and Communications minor. She has been a
dance instructor for 6+ years. |
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Gymnastics
Instructors |
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Stacy Abbondanza - Stacy was a
former Salto gymnast, starting at the age of 2. She is currently
attending WCTC studying early chldhood education. She teaches Tiny
Tot and some Developmental classes and supervises our open gyms. She
is the assistant office manager.
Katie Beres - Katie was a former Salto gymnast for 11 years.
She was on the Brookfield High School gymnastics team. She has been
teaching classes at our Brookfield facility since 2005. She is
studying Criminal Justice at WCTC.
Amy Droster - Amy graduated from Hope College with a B.A. in
Physical Education and a minor in Dance. She has had years of
experience teaching gymnastics and fitness. She coached at Elkhorn
High School and Middle School for one year. She has been at Salto
since 1996. She coaches Tiny Tot and Developmental classes.
Angela Hardison - Angela has an Associate's Degree in Police
Science, and worked as a Police Aide with the Milwaukee Police Dept.
for 5 years. She was a Varsity High School gymnast, and was a State
Champion on Vault. In 2000, she brought her two daughters to
Salto-one is now coaching here at Salto, and one is a Level 9
gymnast. Angela teaches Developmental classes and works in the
office.
Brittany Hardison - Brittany was a former Level 10 Salto
gymnast and graduated in 2007. She currently coaches Developmental
classes at both of our gyms. She is our PreTeam, Team 2, Team 3 and
Prep Optional coach. She is pursuing a career in Drama and Dance.
She is USAG safety certified.
Julie Holden - Julie is a graduate of UW-Milwaukee with a
degree in Child Psychology. She was a former gymnast at Salto. Julie
has been an instructor at Salto since 1995, and currently coaches
the Girls Teams 4 through 8 and TOP's. She is USAG Safety certified.
Sandy Maher - Sandy began teaching Tiny tots at Salto in
2004. She is a graduate of UW-Milwaukee with a degree in Economics.
She currently has 2 of her children in our Salto Team program. She
coaches our Tiny Tot and Developmental classes.
Emily Melcarek - Emily was a former Salto gymnast for 10
years. She started taking classes at the age of 1 and continued into
the team program. She was a Varsity gymnast at Mukwonago High School
for 4 years. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse in August of 2006, with a Bachelors degree in Recreation
Management and a minor in Spanish. She coached Teams 4-6 at the La
Crosse YMCA for 4 years, while attending college. She currently
coaches Teams 4 through 8. She is USAG Safety certified.
Brittany Olson- Brittany started working for Salto in 2004.
She is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she
is studying Spanish and Elementary Education. She currently works in
the Brookfield office, teaches Tiny Tot classes and leads Birthday
Parties.
Vitali Rudnitski - Vitali was a member of the 1996 & 2000
Belarus Olympic Teams. He also represented Belarus at 4 World
Championships. He has a Master's Degree in Physical Education.
Vitali was an Assistant Coach of the Belarus Junior National Team
before coming to the U.S. He coaches our Boys teams. |
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