| Program Directors |
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RALPH DRUECKE
Boys Developmental Director
Owner and operator of Salto for 31 years. A graduate of UW-La Crosse, 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 31 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
Owner and operator of Salto for 31 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 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 Elite 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 23 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 currently a sophomore at Penn State on their gymnastic team. Beth is also the Birthday Party Coordinator at the Waukesha facility. She teaches our Tiny Tot and some Developmental classes. Beth will be starting her tenth year teaching at Salto.
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Dance Instructors |
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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.
Katie Thorne - Katie has been dancing since the age of 3 and started competing at the age of 5. Her dance education was through Barb’s Centre for Dance based in Green Bay, WI., where she danced from age 3 through age 18. She has been to numerous regional and national dance competitions. She attended Carroll College. and was on the Blaze Dance Team for 2 years. She began teaching dance during her junior year of college. She has attended conventions such as, Dance Olympics, Tremaine and Showstoppers. Her strengths are tap and lyrical and she has taught ballet, pointe, jazz and tap.
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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 graduated from WCTC with a degree in early childhood education. She teaches Tiny Tot and some Developmental classes and 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 will be studying Criminal Justice at WCTC in the fall of 2008.
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.
Brittany Hardison - Brittany was a former Level 10 Salto gymnast and graduated in 2007. She currently coaches Developmental classes at both of our locations and coaches our Pre-Team through Team 4 and Prep Optional groups. She also helps supervise the open gyms. She is pursuing a career in Drama and Dance.
Julie Holden - Girls Competitive Team Director - Levels 3-6 - 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 Junior Optional 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 programs. 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 Junior Optional. She is USAG Safety certified.
B.J. Merz - A competitive gymnast for 11 years in Illinois at Midwest Academy of Gymnastics and The Gymnastics Spot. He then coached the boys teams at the Gymnastics Spot until 2006 when he began coaching and teaching at Salto. He currently coaches the boys teams 5 and 6 and boys developmental classes at Brookfield.
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. |
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