FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2007

SHANNON CORNICELLI NAMED HEAD WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS COACH AT RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE
Susie Taylor Tabbed as Assistant Coach

Providence, RI – Rhode Island College has named Shannon Cornicelli as its Head Women’s Gymnastics Coach. Cornicelli will take over for Bob Nannig who stepped down this summer. She had served as Nannig’s assistant for the past two seasons (2005-06, 2006-07).

“As an alumna, I am very excited to take over the women’s gymnastics program at Rhode Island College”, Cornicelli says. “I am determined to build the program up to one of the best in the ECAC and be a regular participant at the NCGA Championships. Both myself and my assistant are serious about winning.”

The National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches of Women (NACGC/W) named her the Assistant Women’s Gymnastics Coach of the Year for the East Region (Div. III) in 2006.

The Warwick, Rhode Island native was a four-year letterwinner in gymnastics at RIC from 1999-03. She holds the top three scores on bars in Rhode Island College women’s gymnastics history with marks of 9.650, 9.400 and 9.375 set during her senior year in 2002-03. She qualified for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championships three times during her career. She qualified as a vault and bars specialist as a senior in 2002-03, on bars and floor as a junior in 2001-02, and as an all-around specialist during her sophomore year in 2000-01. Cornicelli was the ECAC bars champion and was ranked No. 1 on that event in the nation as a senior in 2003.

Cornicelli was also a standout on RIC’s women’s lacrosse teams in 2001 and 2002. As a junior attack wing in 2002, she was named Second Team All-Little East Conference. In nine games, she had 25 goals for 25 points, leading the team in goals, points, caused turnovers and draw controls.

She was named a Distinguished Student-Athlete by the Speaker of the House and the Rhode Island House of Representatives in both 2002 and 2003. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Rhode Island College in 2003.

In addition to her coaching duties, she is a medical sales representative for Praxair Health Services. She resides in West Warwick, Rhode Island with her husband Jason.

In addition, Susie Taylor joins the staff as an assistant women’s gymnastics coach. She will assist Coach Cornicelli in all phases of the RIC women’s gymnastics program including recruiting, scouting, administering practices and meet coaching.

Taylor has been involved with the sport of gymnastics for over 18 years. The North Attleboro, Massachusetts native starred at Aim High Gymnastics as a youth, achieving a level nine status, was named an Attleboro Sun Chronicle All-Star and was the Hockomock League Champion in the all-around as a junior while at North Attleboro High School. Taylor was the Level 8 Rhode Island Champion and the Massachusetts High School State Beam Champion.

She went on to compete for two seasons at Springfield College, specializing on beam and vault. Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in sports biology, while minoring in chemistry, from Springfield in 2005. She earned a master’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Wollongong (Australia) in 2006.

In addition to her duties at Rhode Island College, Taylor is the assistant director of gymnastics at the Newport County YMCA. She was previously a coach at O’Leary’s Gymnastics Academy in Attleboro and also coached in Australia.

She is single and resides in Cranston, Rhode Island.

 Shannon Cornicelli

 Susie Taylor

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