BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — The inaugural season of acrobatics & tumbling at LIU in 2023-24 will have a two-time national champion at the helm.

Shelby Armstrong has been named the first head coach in the program's history.

Armstrong arrives from her alma mater, the University of Oregon, where she most recently served as an assistant coach.

She previously served as the head coach at Mars Hill University as well as at Davis and Elkins College, similarly building the first acrobatics & tumbling teams at the schools.
 
"I am excited to continue being part of history by building the acrobatics & tumbling program at LIU," Armstrong said. "The support for the sport this administration has offered gives me full confidence this is where I should be."

As a student-athlete at Oregon, Armstrong helped lead the Ducks to back-to-back national titles.

She earned a bachelor's degree in general social science from Oregon in 2016 and a master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia at Irvine in 2019.

LIU announced the addition of acrobatics & tumbling in January and subsequently conducted a national search that resulted in Armstrong's hiring.

"Shelby brings a wealth of both competitive and coaching success to our new program," director of athletics Dr. William E. Martinov Jr. said. "Her leadership will establish one of the best programs in the country."

LIU is the eighth program to sponsor acrobatics & tumbling at the NCAA Division I level. 

Acrobatics & tumbling is the evolution of different forms of gymnastics. The sport involves tumbling, tosses, acrobatic lifts and pyramids. Competitors in the sport demonstrate significant strength, power, flexibility and balance in their skill set.

"I have built two programs in my career, and I know there are still a lot of athletes out there who aren't aware of this opportunity at the collegiate level," Armstrong said. "I am eager to educate the surrounding areas and hit the ground running with recruiting for the inaugural season."