Full-Time Staff

Michaela Chelberg
Executive Director
Michaela grew up in Norfolk, NE and received a Biology degree with a minor in coaching from UW-River Falls. She was hired at Mini Hops in 1999 and is currently the Executive Director and Adaptive Program Director. She enjoys gardening, biking, and hiking. Michaela coaches because she wants to make a lasting impact.

James Letzring
Facilities Manager & Coach
James grew up in Grand Forks, ND and has a B.A. in biology from Metro State University. He is currently the Facility Manager and coach, he started coaching in 1996, but came to MHG in 2002. He has a daughter and two sons, all who are gymnasts at Mini Hops.

David Ward
Lead Team Director
David began coaching in 1991 and came to Mini Hops in 2015. He is currently our Competitive Team Director but has worked in our Mini-Hoppers and progressive programs previously. David coaches because he loves to help athletes realize their potential. Fun fact: He loves to fish!

Dani Anderson
Adaptive Coordinator
Coach Dani is from Waterloo, Iowa and received a degree in Leisure, Youth, and Human Services at the University of Northern Iowa. She is the oldest of five siblings and grew up playing lots of sports. She works in almost every program at Mini-Hops, but she mostly loves working as the Adaptive Coordinator, promoting inclusive gymnastics to all individuals with differing abilities. Her favorite food is grilled cheese.

Stefny Kolesnikov
Mini-Hoppers Director & HR Generalist
Stefny is currently Lead Recreational Director and HR Generalist. She has been at Mini Hops since 2009 and coaching since 1991. She speaks Russian and has two amazing kids (both were MHG gymnasts). Stefny says that teaching is her calling. Serving others and sharing what she knows to enhance others’ lives is her mission.

Keyla Kraus
Xcel Team Director
Keyla is our current Xcel Team Director, who has been coaching at Mini Hops since 2007. Fun fact: Keyla was a competitive JO gymnast with MHG. When she is not coaching, Keyla enjoys spending time at the cabin, traveling, and solving puzzles. Her favorite part of coaching is sharing her knowledge and passion for the sport with her gymnasts.

Kris Wilner
Academic Preschool Director
Kris is our Academic Preschool Director, but is trained to work in many other departments. Kris has been at Mini Hops since 2018, but has been coaching since 2010. Kris enjoys getting to teach the next generation as well as introducing them to the world of gymnastics early on.

Julien Lang
Girls, Boys, and Adult Progressive Director
We were very fortunate when Julien Lang moved here from France and joined our team in 2016. He is passionate about fitness, gymnastics, and teaching children all about exercise as well as all the life lessons that come with working hard to be their best. Julien is extremely creative and has a knack for solving all sorts of problems in innovative ways. He and his wife are wonderful parents to three amazing sons who are all athletic, smart and talented in so many ways.

Raye Kennedy
Camp and Performing Arts Director
Raye has done a lot since she began her coaching career here at MHG in 2018! She created and transformed both the Performing Arts Program, Performance Team and the Camp Program into amazingly inclusive, innovative vessels for students to grow, learn and blossum into their best selves. She is extremely creative, caring and hardworking; an amazing teacher to all! Outside the gym, Raye enjoys time with her loving partner, Jason and their sweet dog. She also enjoys traveling, sight-seeing and Mardi Gras!

Becky Schneider
Team Coach
Becky has been coaching at MHG since 2012 and she is truly passionate about gymnastics and teaching! She has coached most levels from parent/child classes all the way up to competitive girls’ teams. She is a “Jill of all Trades”, helping as a customer service member, preschool coach, academic preschool teacher, girls school age and upper level recreational and team coach. We are grateful to have such a caring, hard-working, kid-expert among us! In her spare time, Becky enjoys horseback riding, is a beautiful and talented singer and loves playing with her sweet and funny cats!

Kostya Kolesnikov
Boy's Team Director
Konstantin “Kostya” Kolesnikov began gymnastics at the age of 7, earned the title of All-Around Champion at the Russian Cup, was a member of the USSR/Russian National Team, and has a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis on Physical Education as a Gymnastics Coach. He has coached all levels of gymnastics, including several Olympians. He was the University of Minnesota Men’s Gymnastics Teams Assistant coach and in 2021 he was recognized as a USA Senior Coach of the Year by USA Gymnastics.

Aaron Vanderwall
TNT Program Director/Coach
Aaron is an Exercise Expert to say the least. If you have a question about the human body, exercise, fitness, or physiology, he could rival Google! He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology & Masters of Education in Applied Kinesiology (Sport and Exercise Science). He has been a personal trainer and soccer coach for several decades, so we feel we won the lottery when he joined us in 2016! Aaron joined us when his daughter, Aubrey, started tumbling here as a baby, now she is a member of our girls competitive team.
Aaron is currently the Director of both the recreational and competitive Trampoline and Tumbling programs and he is the Director of the Mini-Hoppers program as well! Aaron loves coaching because as says, “I enjoy sharing my love of sport and movement with my students and watching them reach their goals as they figure out new skills and competencies.”
Aaron’s family, including his wonderful wife, Kelly, enjoy getting out in nature and/or the community, as well as traveling to new Micro-breweries whenever they have time.

Kristin Wemm
Girls Team Assistant Director
Coach Kristin was a gymnast for as long as she can remember; competing throughout her childhood and adolescence. She had been coaching and judging gymnastics almost her entire adult life and has a true passion for teaching gymnastics in a way that is healthy both mentally and physically. MHG welcomed Kristin in 2016 and have been amazed and thankful for her contribution to the Girls Competitive Programs ever since! Outside of the gym, Kristin has a wonderful husband, Skylar, is a “pet-mom” to her sassy cats, rides her motorcycle and loves to exercise.

Kelly Blake
Pre-Team Coordinator
In 2018, Kelly joined the Mini-Hops Girls Team coaching staff and quickly became the Pre-Team Coordinator, helping the youngest athletes to determine if gymnastics is the sport they want to pursue as they learn to work hard and stretch themselves to the limit. She is amazing with the youngest of athletes and can give the incremental challenges that lead them to success. Kelly was a gymnast growing up and was a strong competitor for Lakeville North High School and is happy to use the sport she loves to teach young athletes the value of sport in learning life lessons. When Kelly is not at the gym, she is either being an amazing mom to her son, Caleb or spending time at another gym for her own workouts! In the recent past, she was training and competing as a power lifter!

Paula Rawlings
Xcel Team Coordinator & DP Girls Team Coach
Paula was a high school gymnast for 4 years and then started coaching in 1993 in Vancouver, Washington. When shes not coaching she loves the outdoors; hiking, trail running, kayaking, paddle boarding etc. She loves to use her creativity to help athletes achieve their skills.

Nong Quang
Boys Team Coach
Coach Nong was born in Nanning, China and trained his entire life as a gymnast, ultimately becoming a member of the Chinese National Team; earning the highest ranking as an international and national competitor. He earned the prestigious title of Junior Asian floor, pommel horse, and rings champion and his team earned the second place title of that competition as well! He coached for six years before immigrating to the US, where Coach Nong worked at Chow’s Gymnastics in Iowa for over a decade before joining the MHG Boys Team Staff in 2015. He is wonderful coach of ages 4 and up, from beginners to the highest level of competitive gymnastics. He recently helped a long-time Mini-Hops gymnast, Mark Fu, to be recruited to compete for William and Mary!
An interesting fact is that Coach Nong is a soccer fanatic; he has loved that sport since he was a child. When he is not at work, he enjoys time with his beautiful wife, LiYing, daughter, Lisa and son, Derek.

Doug Price
Boys Team Coach
Our proud and loud “East Coaster”, Coach Doug has been coaching gymnastics since the late 70s or early 80s. He has coached EVERYTHING, from tots to teens, birthday parties to high level competitive gymnasts. The majority of his experience is working with boys’ competitive teams, and he has guided many athletes to National Championships and had several gymnasts earn a spot on the US. Junior National Team. Currently, he is coaching Solen Chiodi who competed to earn a spot on the US. Junior National Team in the summer of 2022. In his spare time, Coach Doug enjoys playing guitar, is creative and talented wood worker and he is an amazing cook!

Bridgit Abuzzahab
Coach
Coach Bridgit began at Mini-Hops as a Mini-Gym Assistant Coach in 2015. Since then, she has continued to learn and grow as a teacher throughout the years and now she coaches ages 5 months to 12 years; she LOVES kids, and it truly shows! Her smile is contagious, and the kids are instantly drawn to her loving and caring personality. Bridgit is a huge K-Pop fan and her cat, “Ember” is so sweet that she waits by the door for Bridgit to get home every day!

Reuven Anderson
Boys Team Coach
Reuven was a college gymnast at the University of Iowa until the program was closed after the 202-21 season. He then joined the Iowa Gym Act Program as he continued to obtain a degree in Engineering from the University of Iowa. You may recognize him because he has been training here at MHG in the summers and school breaks for a couple of years now. He has been coaching many levels of gymnasts for the past 5 years and is well versed in strength training, especially on rings! We are very excited to have Reuven join our team of talented coaches!

Joey Ray
Coach
Joey is an incredible person who cares deeply for others and is passionate about dance of all sorts and gymnastics for all. He was a gymnast at the University of Minnesota and then went on to hold a career in dentistry for 30 years, and he has recently decided to follow his passions of ministry and teaching dance and gymnastics. Joey is an extremely open, honest and caring person and has a pure love of helping others by “mining the gold” of each person. Coach Joey is an excellent addition to our teaching team!

Ricia Weber
Coach
Coach Ricia has an extensive history in gymnastics as both an athlete and a coach. In addition, she earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and a Master’s in Social Work from University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She moved to Minnesota in August of 2022 after a successful directorship at the YMCA in Eau Claire where she increased the enrollment from practically zero after covid shutdowns up to several hundred students! She loves to coach all ages and levels, from parents and babies up to level 8 gymnasts, because she understands and is passionate about the sport of gymnastics and using it to develop amazing humans.

Abbie Wells
Marketing & Customer Service Director
Originally from Iowa, Abbie decided to call Minnesota home just over a year ago. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership HR before finding herself in the Marketing world. During work, you’ll find her behind the desk, talking with parents, and designing behind the scenes. Outside of Mini Hops, Abbie loves to read, write, and participate in her guilty pleasure of watching way too much reality TV. We’re so happy that Abbie has joined our team!

Tim Starook
Coach
Part-Time Staff

Jean Juneski
Bookkeeper

Dan Anderson
Girls Team Coach

Ahkirrah Collier
Coach

Alieshia Frink
Coach

Alissa Brandt
Coach

Cyndi Boyd
Academic Preschool

Ava Anderson
Coach

Ben Devolve
Assistant Coach

Cass Hanson
Coach

Leah Ray
Coach

Cristina Schonert
Team Coach

Ella Schisler
Coach

David Alvarado
Sterling Karate Coach

Ella Camp
Coach

Elliott Lang
Assistant Coach

Josie Klimmek
Seasonal Coach

Erica Hyde
Seasonal Coach

Fia Haley
Coach

Landon Essig
Coach

Goldina Lee
Coach

Kylie Godfredson
Coach

Hyde Rocha-Morgan
Coach

Jacquelin Downs
Coach

Maddie Hovis
Coach

Kaia Meyer
Coach

Katie Bowe
Seasonal Coach

Kiernan Frink
Assistant Coach

Lisa Nong
Coach

Laura Hyde
Seasonal Coach

Meela Kolesnikov
Coach

Liam Frink
Coach

Maddie Michaels
Coach

Madison Bryan
Coach

Megan Kluck
Marketing Intern

Nicole Nelson
Adaptive Coach

Maddie Woodford
Coach

Miranda Wolf
Assistant

Quinten Kolness
Coach

Nikolai Kolesnikov
Seasonal Coach

Miia Barrack
Coach

Rachel Hencke
Coach

Norah Madson
Seasonal Coach

Scott Lasota
Coach

Nina Miller
Coach

Rachel Mansky
Coach

Samantha Ajsenberg
Coach

Sonia Bendjemil
Coach

Solen Chiodi
Coach

Alexis Schoenberg
Coach

Peter Sterling
Sterling Karate Coach

Amanda VanTwuyver
Assistant Coach

Brendan Finnegan
Assistant Coach

Reagan McCarthy
Assistant Coach

Grace Toledo
Intern

Krista Pickett
Assistant Coach

Chris Hernandez
Front Desk Staff

Za’Kiyah Thomas
Assistant Coach

Harlow Ganz
Assistant Coach

Sydney Wallace
Assistant Coach

Chaltu Kedir
Assistant Coach

Nikki Vanecek
Assistant Coach

Michaela Diamond
Assistant Coach
Volunteers
- Adriana Stoltman
- Amy Gillespie
- Gabriela Garcia
- Hannah Walker
- Jennifer Bocklund
- Morgan Masiak
- Samantha Howard
- Sarah Klobe
- Shannon Torgerson
- Sonia Bendjemil
- Sophia Silva