Catelyn Branson (Orel) was named the gymnastics head coach in July of 2021, and will enter her third season with Lindenwood in 2023-24. Orel is just the third head coach in program history,
The Lindenwood gymnastics team saw continued success in 2023, earning the top-seed at the MIC Championships, finishing in second place. Lindenwood took home the USAG National Championship for the first time since 2019. The squad also had two individual national champions as Nya Kraus and Kaylee Cooper took first on beam and bars, respectively. 10 individuals earned all-conference honors for their performance, including Gayla Griswold who was named MIC Women of the Year and a 2023 AAI Award nominee.
In her first season, the Lindenwood gymnastics team had yet another successful campaign, earning third at USAG nationals and advancing a student-athlete to NCAA nationals. Gayla Griswold became the first Lion in program history to qualify for the national event, as the junior capped her season on the vault in Fort Worth, Texas.
Hadley Roberts joined Griswold on the WCGA All-America list, earning first-team distinction on the beam. In addition to her first-team recognition on the vault, Griswold also snagged second-team honors in the floor exercise.
Overall, Lindenwood won three duals last season, picking up victories against Southeast Missouri (twice) and Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Orel comes to Lindenwood after serving two seasons on the staff at the University of Arkansas. Orel coordinated all community outreach and volunteer activities for the program, as well as assisted in planning summer camps for Arkansas gymnastics. A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Orel was responsible for monitoring academic progress and eligibility requirements, as well as recruiting. During her time with the Razorbacks, Orel contributed to marketing the program through promotions, social media, and leotard design. Orel served as an assistant coach during her final year in Fayetteville, Ark., as she was the interim assistant coach during the 2020 campaign.
Orel competed as a student-athlete at the University of Nebraska from 2015-19. As a member of the Nebraska gymnastics program, Orel was named academic all-Big Ten twice, and earned scholar-athlete honor roll four times. Orel was honored with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2017, and was an NACGC/W Scholastic All-American in 2016. Orel completed her business administration in management degree in 2019, while earning a minor in sociology.
