Head Coach

Bio

Meg Crowley enters her fourth season as head coach of the Ladies in 2026.  

Crowley, a Spring, Texas native, is a former Centenary gymnast (2009-13) who helped lead the Ladies to a third-place finish at the 2013 USA Gymnastics Collegiate Nationals, also finishing third on floor and served as team co-captain her senior year. Crowley was coached by longtime head coach Jackie Fain, who retired after the 2022 campaign after 11 successful seasons at the helm.

The Centenary gymnastics program capped one of its most memorable seasons in history on April 13, 2025 after serving as host for the 2025 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championships at the Gold Dome.

The prestigious event, formerly named the USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships, featured the host Ladies along with the University of Alaska, the University of Bridgeport, Greenville University, Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), Southern Connecticut State University, Texas Woman's University, and West Chester University and eight individuals also competed.

Senior Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.) finished her superb career in grand fashion on the final day of competition as she scored a career-high 9.80 on floor in the individual finals after she earned a previous career-best 9.775 in the opening session. Lavelle earned First-Team All-American status based on her appearance in the individual finals.

Lavelle, who was competing at nationals for the third time in her career, was named a finalist for the prestigious AAI Award sponsored by American Athletic Inc. (AAI) earlier in the season as she was the only division III gymnast of the 59 nominees in the country.

Crowley was named the 2025 WCGNIC Coach of the Year, it was announced at the official team welcome banquet prior to the championships and senior Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas) received the "Outstanding Senior Athlete Award" during the post-meet awards ceremony at nationals. The prestigious award goes to the highest scoring all around senior athlete based off the results of the opening session in which Schmitz finished fifth in the AA with a score of 37.850. Her best score of the meet was a 9.70 on bars followed by a 9.525 on vault. She competed at nationals for the second season in a row. 

Fourteen Centenary gymnasts were named WCGNIC 2025 Scholar-Athletes as they held either a cumulative 3.3 GPA or Fall semester GPA of 3.3. Five Ladies had 4.0 GPAs in the fall semester - sophomore Hayden Cagle (Austin, Texas), freshman Molly English (Newnan, Ga.), freshman Chloe Gilbert (Pflugerville, Texas), Lavelle, and junior Olivia Stratmann (Houston, Texas).

The following is the complete list of the scholar-athletes: Freshman Peyton Burford (West Monroe, La.), Hayden Cagle, freshman Skyla Cruz (El Paso, Texas), Molly English, junior Claire Flores (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Chloe Gilbert, freshman Anna Ichiba (Murphy, Texas), Emma Lavelle, freshman Olivia Montgomery (Willard, Mo.), sophomore Brooke Murdock (Garland, Texas), Sophie Schmitz, Olivia Stratmann, senior Mylia Vidtor (The Colony, Texas), and sophomore Olivia Williams (Cape Coral, Fla.)

Lavelle and Schmitz were each named 2025 WCGNIC All-Americans by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA). These prestigious honors recognize outstanding performances throughout the competition in the 2025 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championships and highlight the dedication, skill, and hard work of gymnasts from across the country. Lavelle earned First-team honors on floor while Schmitz earned in the All-Around. 

Centenary also hosted the annual Midwest Independent Conference Championships on March 21 as the Ladies earned a team score of 189.200 to finish fourth. Centenary finished with a 48.100 on bars, a 47.350 on vault, and an identical 46.875 on both beam and floor. Schmitz finished third in the All-Around with a score of 37.900 and the Ladies' two best individual scores of the meet were 9.70 by Lavelle on beam and Stratmann on bars. Schmitz was named First-Team All-MIC Conference after her third-place finish in the AA

The Ladies' highest team score this season was a 192.175 against Fisk University on March 8 at home and Centenary's Senior Night. Centenary topped 190.00 for the first this season and its team score is the Ladies' highest since recording a 190.325 last season against TWU and the Maroon and White scored 192.00 or better for the first time since recording a 192.475 on March 11, 2023 at home versus Lindenwood University.

The Ladies earned season-best scores on vault (47.875) and bars (48.150) against Fisk, tied their season-high on floor (48.100), and recorded their second-best score on beam (48.050).

Crowley led the Ladies to another successful season in 2024 as they finished fifth at the annual Midwest Independent Conference Championships, and six Centenary gymnasts qualified as individuals for the 2024 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships.

The Six Ladies who qualified were sophomore Amy Foret (Bedford, Texas), senior Rylie Molina (Moss Bluff, La.), sophomore Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas), senior Lacey Wedge (Belle Chasse, La.), freshman Olivia Williams (Cape Coral, Fla.), and senior Izzie Plaza (San Antonio, Texas). Five of the six competed except Wedge who was injured.

Williams was named a First-Team All-American following her appearance in the finals at the National Championships on April 14 held at West Chester University as the sensational rookie Williams finished 13^th on floor with a 9.66. Williams put a cap on her outstanding rookie season for the Maroon and White after recording a career-high 9.75 on floor on April 12 to qualify for the event finals.

The Ladies earned a season-high 190.325 on March 17 to finish second in a dual meet against the host Texas Woman's University Pioneers inside Kitty Magee Arena in Denton, Texas. The Ladies' 190.325 is their highest team score since posting a 192.475 on March 11, 2023 against Lindenwood at home.

Senior Roxanne Myers (Prairieville, La.) was the recipient of the MIC Coaches' Choice Award on March 19. Myers earned one of the four individual honors that the conference chooses on a weekly basis and received it for the first time in her career. She finished eighth on bars with a new season and career-high 9.65 against TWU on March 17.

Wedge had a superb season for the Ladies as she was selected as the MIC Gymnast of the Week on March 13 as she earned the prestigious honor for the first time in her career. Wedge highlighted the Ladies' performance on March 8 in their tri-meet against the host West Chester University Golden Rams and the William & Mary Tribe at West Chester, Pa. as she won on floor (recording her first-career win) with a new career-high 9.85 and finished second on vault with a career-high tying 9.725.

Wedge earned a 9.80 on floor in the Ladies' final home meet of the season on Feb. 26 against Bridgeport, which at the time was a new career high in her final appearance in the Gold Dome. Her career high on floor coming into the season was a 9.575 and she scored a 9.60 or higher six times during the season and 9.70 or higher four times. She previously scored a 9.725 on vault in a tri-meet against the host Air Force Academy Falcons and the UC-Davis Aggies in Colorado in February.

Schmitz was the recipient of the MIC Coaches' Choice Award on March 14 as she received the honor for the first time after an impressive weekend in a pair of road meets. She recorded a new season and career-high 9.775 on bars to finish second and finished second in the All-Around with a new season and career-best 37.925 on March 10 against Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Schmitz also tied for seventh place on vault with a 9.55.

Schmitz, who competed in the AA for the first time in her career on March 8 against West Chester and William & Mary, also earned a season and career-high 9.55 on floor to finish eighth. In that Friday meet, Schmitz finished second in the All-Around with a 37.675, tied for sixth place on vault with a new career-best 9.65. She finished 10^th on bars with a 9.625 and 14^th on floor with a 9.525 in her debut in the event.

Six Centenary gymnasts were named to the 2024 Academic All-District® Women's At-Large team, selected by College Sports Communicators as senior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas), junior Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.), Plaza, Schmitz, sophomore Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas), sophomore Olivia Stratmann (Houston, Texas), and Wedge each earned a spot on the prestigious team. The 2024 Academic All-District® Women's At-Large team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes at-large honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Crowley led the program to one of its most successful seasons in the division III era in 2023. Eight Ladies qualified for the 2023 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships, marking the most Centenary gymnasts to qualify for the prestigious event since 2017. Four Ladies received All-American honors following the event as sophomore Carissa Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.) and senior Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.) each received First-Team All-American honors following their impressive performances in the event finals.

Martinez tied for seventh place on floor (9.75) and Wilson finished second in the bars’ competition with a 9.825. Freshman Amy Foret (Bedford, Texas) and freshman Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas) each earned Second-Team All-American honors as Foret tied for seventh place on floor with a 9.80 while Schmitz earned a season-high 9.775 on bars to tie for sixth place.

Senior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas), senior Leilani Johnson (Wichita, Kan.), sophomore Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.), and senior Kennedy Stephens (Bella Vista, Ark.) also qualified for nationals. Johnson and Wilson each earned spots on the 2023 All-Midwest Independent Conference Team as second-team selections.  Johnson also received the MIC weekly Coaches' Choice Award on March 15 following her impressive performance on Senior Night (March 11 versus Lindenwood) as she won the floor competition with a career-high 9.90 - marking the highest individual score by a Centenary gymnast since Navia Jordan earned a 9.90 on floor at the 2016 USA Gymnastics Championships. Johnson's score also tied Jordan's for the highest in the division III era (2013-present).

The Ladies earned their highest score (192.475) in eight years on Senior Night as it was their highest team score since posting a 193.775 on March 15, 2015 versus New Hampshire. The Ladies earned their best score of the season on vault (48.325) against Lindenwood and tallied six individual career highs.

Eleven Ladies were named MIC Scholar-Athletes and four had perfect 4.0 GPA's. Five Ladies earned a spot on the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Women's At-Large Team – Huff, Lavelle, Stephens, and Wilson were joined by junior Isabel Plaza (San Antonio, Texas), The prestigious team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom. Crowley was selected as Coach of the Year at Centenary Athletics’ annual end-of-the-year banquet in April.

Crowley trained at Bannon's Gymnastics under Luis Brasesco and Olympic coach Aimee Boorman prior to being recruited to Centenary as a student-athlete. She completed her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Texas Woman's University in 2016 and was previously a level 10 rated gymnastics judge.

Crowley spent six years in Chicago working as a physical therapist, where she worked in an outpatient orthopedic clinic treating a wide range of patients with a special interest in women's health and female athletes.