THE COACH

Eduardo Ovalle is entering his 9th year as the Head Coach of MIT's women's gymnastics team and is a former NCGA Coach of the Year, receiving the award for the first time in 2002. A 1990 graduate of Springfield College with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, Eduardo was an All-American gymnast at Springfield placing second on high-bar and floor exercise at the USAG-Collegiate National Championship his senior year. He was also an Academic All-American as well as the recipient of the senior scholar-athlete award at Springfield. He is also a first generation mexican-american, born and raised in Mexico City until the age of 14. These credentials help him relate well with the great variety of student-athletes here at MIT.

Eduardo came to MIT in January of 1994 to help Catherine Rocchio as assistants while the women's program was still under the direction of men's coach Fran Molesso. At the end of the 1995 season the "Head Coach" position was created for the women's program and Eduardo was hired. During his years at MIT, his teams have been responsible for breaking every team and individual school record. The team's school record stands a dramatic 20 points higher than when Eduardo first came to MIT. In 1995 the team qualified for the NCGA National Championships for the first time in its history and they made the trip again in 1997. There have been 20 All-America Awards won by 6 different individuals, one ECAC All-Around Champion in Sonja Ellefson ('01) and one National All-Around Champion in Sheila Rocchio ('97). Sheila stands as one of MIT's most decorated gymnasts with numerous awards and recognitions including being nominated twice for the prestigious Honda Award. Sonja is the individual school record holder on three events and the All-Around as well as MIT's fifth Oustanding Senior Athlete ( NCGA Award), and the first ever Regional Gymnast of the Year ( NACGC/W award) from a Division III school. Eduardo has also been able to recruit top athletes to MIT as evidence by the class of '05 and '06.

Prior to coming to MIT, Eduardo was Holly Szabo's assistant at Division I Northeastern University. He has taught at several gymnastics camps over the years including a summer at Woodward Gymnastics camp in PA. He has also had the opportunity to participate in the NCAA YES Clinic that runs in conjunction with the NCAA National Championships twice in the past. Eduardo still holds a full-time position at MEDITECH, Inc in Canton, MA. Eduardo is married to Kerry Ovalle who is herself a Springfield College Gymnastics alum and together they have a beautiful daughter Jessica Liesl (8) and a handsome boy David Sebastian (6).

Contact Eduardo directly at eduardo@ mit.edu or call his office at 781/774-4302