Illinois State University Women's Gymnastics

Cassandra Ringer was hired to lead the Redbird Gymnastics program in June 2025. Ringer comes to Illinois State after serving as an assistant coach at Ball State since 2018. Prior to that, she served as the Illinois State graduate assistant coach and choreographer during the 2017-18 season. The 2023 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Regional Co-Assistant Coach of the Year, Ringer concluded her seventh season as an assistant coach for the Ball State gymnastics program in 2025. Her expertise helped guide the Cardinals to a pair of Mid-American Conference regular season titles (2023 and 2024), as well as a pair of team berths into the NCAA Regionals (2023 and 2024). Since Ringer joined the staff at Ball State, the program posted an 83-48-1 (.633) dual record, including double-digit wins in six of her seven seasons in Muncie. In MAC competition, the Cardinals were 27-14 (.659) over that same span and finished second at the MAC Championships in both 2023 and 2024. During her time on staff, the Cardinals also produced the 32 highest team scores in program history, highlighted by a program-record mark of 198.025 at the 2024 Tennessee Collegiate Classic. The effort at the Farm Bureau Expo Center, which included 22 scores of 9.800-or-higher, is also the MAC team score record in the current seven-team era. Ball State’s primary coach and choreographer for floor exercise, Ringer also helped the Cardinals register seven of the 11 highest team floor scores in program history.   Among those scores was a 9.950 from Suki Pfister which marked the second straight season Ringer helped the first all-American in program history tied the program’s individual floor record. Overall, Ringer helped BSU’s gymnasts record two of the program’s eight all-time floor scores of 9.950, along with 18 of 27 all-time floor scores of 9.925 and 36 of 55 all-time floor scores of 9.900. Ringer’s student-athletes have carried over their success into other apparatus as well, helping establish the top 11 all-around scores in program history. Zoe Middleton leads the way with her program record all-around effort of 39.750, which included one of her six career scores of 9.925 on floor. In addition, both Middleton and Pfister were crowned MAC Co-Floor Champions during the 2024 season with scores of 9.900 at the league championships.   Ringer arrived at Ball State from Illinois State where she served as the graduate assistant coach and choreographer. During her time as a Redbird, she instructed training sessions and developed training plans, served as the primary coach of floor exercise, choreographed floor and balance beam routines, facilitated team building activities, and increased fan and alumni engagement. Prior to her time at Illinois State, Ringer was a volunteer assistant coach at West Chester University of Pennsylvania for two years and spent time at Gymnastics Etc., Arcadia Gymnastics, Woodward Camp and the AJS Pancott Gymnastics National Training Center. She graduated cum laude in May 2015 with her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from West Chester. While competing for the Golden Rams, she was a United States of America Gymnastics (USAG) Scholar Athlete, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Academic Honor Roll member and an academic all-conference honoree. Ringer also has a master’s degree in public administration with graduate certificates in sport management, administration and human resources management from West Chester.  

Adeline Kenlin is in her first season as part of the Redbird Gymnastics coaching staff. Kenlin joins the Illinois State staff, following a stellar gymnastics career at Iowa. A two-time All-American and one of just four multi-time All-Americans in Hawkeyes’ history, Kenlin was the NCAA runner-up on beam in 2022 and tied the school record on beam with a 9.975 in 2021 on way to being named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year. She also has the second-best score on beam in school history at 9.950.

Kendra Combs joined the Women’s Gymnastics staff as an Assistant Coach in the fall of 2023 and is entering her second season as a member of the Redbird coaching staff. Combs is the primary vault coach and choreographer for the Redbirds and assists with coaching bars. In 2024, The Redbirds’ vault team scored 49+ six times, including a season high of a 49.325. At the MIC Conference Championships, the Redbirds took the vault title, led by Angelica Labat’s 9.875, along with two other top 3 finishes from Jaye Mack and Madison Kipp. Combs helped coach two individuals, Mack and Labat, to qualify for the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional Championships. In total, 18 Redbirds earned All-MIC honors, including 5 on vault. The season posted both the highest average (195.402) and the highest NQS (195.91) in program history. Before coming to Illinois State, Combs studied and competed at West Virginia University. She capped off her stellar career at WVU with nearly 1,500 career points scored. In her final season, Combs was a consistent competitor on bars, beam and floor while helping the team to the 2023 NCAA Regional Second Round. In 2022, Combs led the team in total points and was a NCAA Regional Championships individual qualifier on floor after earning All-Big 12 honors in the all-around. An Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection, Combs tallied 21 podium finishes, including 11 event wins, to pace the squad and earned new career-best totals on vault, bars, floor and the all-around. At WVU, she completed her Bachelor's degree in Business and holds a Master's degree in Sport Coaching.