Winona, Minn. - Winona State Gymnastics head coach Beckie Rolbiecki has announced her retirement from the institution.  For the past sixteen years, Rolbiecki has led the Warrior program, playing a major role in reestablishing the proud tradition of Winona State gymnastics.

Hired in 2005, Rolbiecki was tabbed to take over the Warrior program that had joined the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), beginning in the 2004-05 academic year.  Under Rolbiecki, a 1977 WSU graduate with a degree in Physical Education and a coaching certification, Winona State began to return to success as a top program in the Midwest. 

Rolbiecki first earned WIAC Coach-of-the-Year in 2006. and went on to earn conference Coach-of-the-Year honors two more times, in 2008 and 2016.  Rolbiecki was also tabbed the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Regional Coach-of-the-Year following the 2008 and 2016 campaigns.  The NCGA is the governing for NCAA Division III gymnastics programs in the U.S.; in 2010, Rolbiecki was tabbed the NCGA National Coach-of-the-Year. 

Shortly after Rolbiecki took over the Warrior program in 2005, Winona State saw success at the Regional and National levels.  WSU qualified for the NCGA National Tournament in three consecutive seasons - 2008, 2009 and 2010 - while several individual student-athletes also earned NCGA All-America notoriety throughout Rolbiecki's tenure. In 2013, Winona State saw nine Warrior student-athletes qualify for the NCGA National event, with all nine earning All-America honors that year.  Most recently, Rolbiecki coached Eboni Jackson to a first-place finish in the NCGA All-Around, setting a WSU record score of 38.8 in the event.  Within WIAC competition, the Winona State gymnastics program has produced 31 All-America student-athletes.

Rolbiecki also was responsible for the Warrior gymnastic programs ability to attract student-athletes from across the U.S. as well as several international standouts.  The 2019-20 edition of the WSU team rolled out a roster spanning 13 states, as well as gymnasts from Canada and Japan. The Warrior gymnastics alumnae stretch from California to Connecticut, Georgia to Ontario with Rolbiecki at the helm. 

An additional characteristic of Rolbiecki's programs has been the academic success achieved by her Warrior teams.  Winona State gymnastics has had 45 Academic All-Americans in the past 16 seasons, including a NCGA Judy Krukman Award recipient (Alexandra Nugent) in 2007-08; the Judy Krukman Award is earned by the top academic senior gymnast competing in the WIAC/NCGA. In 2013, Stephanie Wojton was awarded the Winona State Athletics Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, following a year in which she earned All-America honors while also graduating summa cum laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA as a senior. Under Rolbiecki, Warrior gymnastics teams have consistently ranked in the top quarter of all Winona State athletic programs in terms of team cumulative GPA.  

Rolbiecki sought out high-level competition to prepare her teams.  Winona State has traveled to and competed against the U.S. Air Force Academy, the University of Denver, Illinois State University, Texas Woman's University, the University of Alaska-Anchorage and Centenary (La.) College in the effort to compete with some of the nation's top gymnastics programs.

Challenging her teams with strong competition paid off in the Warrior record books.  Rolbiecki's teams own the top-ten all-time team vault scores in program history.  The also account for 18 other top-10 all-time scores in various events and team total score records.  In 2016, Rolbiecki coached the WSU squad to its highest ever team score, when they posted a 191.65 mark in a triangular meet with the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and Lindenwood (Mo.) University.

Coach Rolbiecki noted: "I have immensely enjoyed my coaching years at WSU! I feel very privileged and blessed to have worked with so many wonderful student-athletes and I am very proud of their accomplishments both academically and athletically. They leave a great legacy behind them in a multitude of school records broken, All-American honors and national qualifications."

Prior to her position at Winona State, Rolbiecki served as the head coach of the Winona Senior High School program for 23 years where she was named Big 9 Conference Coach-of-the-Year eight times and was honored with a Minnesota Girls Gymnastics Coaches Association Hall of Fame selection.

Rolbiecki went on to state: "I am excited for Aixa Evenson to take over the program! I have known and coached her since she was young, and I believe that she will make this transition and easy one for the team. Her coaching style and philosophy are very similar to mine so I feel that the girls will be very comfortable with her and the team will be in good hands. I look forward to watching her continue to grow the program. Thank you to my administration for all your support over the years!"

Current Winona State assistant coach Aixa (Ace-a) Evenson, who Rolbiecki coached as a gymnast during her club, high school and college career has been named the interim head coach for the 2020-21 season.  A full search will be conducted at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.