Coaches

Our team staff is a group of passionate individuals who have chosen this career field because of their respect and love of gymnastics. Coming from all different backgrounds, they work hard to help each gymnast in pursuit of excellence not only in the Pacific Northwest but nationally and internationally as well.

Erika Bakacs

Born: Romania
Started Gymnastics at age: 3
Highest Level: International Elite/Olympics
Team: Romanian National Team
Career Highlights: Romanian National Champion, Coached by Bela & Marti Karolyi
Favorite Event: Beam and Floor
Coaching Experience: 33 years
Coaching Highlights: International Elite Coach, Elite on National Jr. Team
Highest Level Coached: International Elite, Olympic Figure Skating Coach
Education: BSN Education, Romania, Elite Level Judge

2005 USAG's Washington State Optional Coach of the Year!
 

Ivan Kostadinov

Born: Bulgaria
Started Gymnastics at age: 14
Highest Level: International Elite/Olympics
Team: Bulgarian National Team
Favorite Event: Pommel Horse and Rings
Coaching Experience: 37 years
Coaching Highlights: Coached the Bulgarian National Team and won many gold medals
Highest Level Coached: Olympics
Education: Sports College, Bulgaria
 

Dimitri Taskov

Born: Varna, Bulgaria
Started Gymnastics at age: 8
Highest Level: International Elite/Olympics
Team: Bulgarian National Team
Career Highlights: 20th All-around 1988 Olympics, Went to Worlds in 1987,1989 & 1991
Favorite Event: Pommel Horse and Parallel Bars
Coaching Experience: 13 years
Coaching Highlights: Coached Level 10 to Nationals
Highest Level Coached: Level 10
Education: Sports College, Bulgaria
 

Ray Butcher

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Brandon

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Paul Rawlings

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Cassandra Jussino

Born: In Weisbaden, West Germany 
Started Gymnastics at age: 4
Highest Level competed: Elite and college
Team: Elite here at Naydenov, and college at ASU.
Career Highlights: Level 10 National team qualifier 1997, National Level 10 Champion on Bars in 1999, Level 10 National Champion on Vault in 2002, and earned a full athletic scholarship to ASU and competed All-Around all four years.
Favorite Event: Floor and Vault.
Coaching Experience: Coached and choreographed from age 15 through high school and continued to choreograph through college.
Highest level coached: Level 10.
Education: Graduated from ASU in December 2007.

Ranee Folk

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Joy Rutherford

Born: San Bernadino, CA
Started Gymnastics at age: 9
Highest Level: Level 7
Favorite Event: Beam
Coaching Experience: 5 years
Coaching Highlights: Achieving my goal of having my own team.
Highest Level Coached: Level 5, This will be my first season.  I'm very excited.
Education: I was home schooled, so I could do gymnastics.