Mel Goulding was officially introduced as the first head coach of the Canisius acrobatics and tumbling program on Dec. 24, 2024.
Goulding joins the Canisius coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach for two years at Buffalo State. In her time at Buffalo State, she played an integral role in building the Bengal program from the ground up and was part of the staff when the Buffalo State acrobatics and tumbling team posted its first program victory. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she assisted with the program's community involvement and fundraising efforts.
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Before joining the Buffalo State staff, Goulding served as the head acrobatic and tumbling coach at Glenville State College, an NCAA Division II school located in Glenville, W. Va. In 2019, Goulding led the Lady Pioneers to a 6-2 record and a No. 9 ranking in the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) poll. Glenville State also made it to the NCATA Nationals in five event finals, while four members of the team earned All-Mountain East Conference (MEC) honors. Additionally, at the inaugural MEC Championship, Glenville State earned multiple league titles in six-element acro, six-element tumbling and synchronized pyramid.
A Buffalo native who graduated from Depew High School, Goulding competed on the inaugural acrobatics and tumbling team as a student-athlete at Alderson Broaddus University in Phillippi, W. Va. There, she earned three varsity letters in acrobatics and tumbling while also earning her undergraduate degree in pre-law and international studies in 2017.
