A Towson University graduate and former assistant, Jay Ramirez returned to be the new head coach of Tiger gymnastics in 2019.
2025 saw Towson pick up its second consecutive EAGL regular season title, earning 28 regular season victories, tied for most in the country going into the postseason. Towson finished 33rd in the Road to Nationals rankings, including a perfect 4-0 in EAGL regular season matches. Towson gymnasts picked up two major league awards: Clara Hong was the EAGL Scholar-Athlete of the Year while Ava Harper was the EAGL Rookie Specialist of the Year. 10 Tigers were recognized in the All-EAGL honors for a combined 21 all-conference selections, highlighted by Isabella Minervini being a five-time All-EAGL selection, including First Team on all-around, vault and bars. Hong took three First Team All-EAGL awards on bars, beam and floor. Each Minervini and Hong were selected as NCAA Tournament individual competitors on all-around and beam respectively.
In 2024, Ramirez led the team to a 23-15 season, capturing its second consecutive East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Championship title and first Regular Season EAGL Champion title after going 4-0 in conference designated meets. Following the regular season, the team made its fourth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, competing against Utah, Michigan State and Maryland in the second round of the championship. Under coach Ramirez and Sauer’s guidance this season, the program broke the team score record three separate times, recording three 197s after initially hitting that mark for the first time in program history. The Black & Gold achieved the highest National Qualifying Score (NQS) in program history, finishing with a 196.935 backed by nine consecutive 196s. The Tigers recorded program records on bars (49.525), beam (49.475) and floor (49.650) as well as the second highest score in program history on vault (49.350). Ramirez picked up his third EAGL Coach of the Year honor and fourth consecutive Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Southeast Region Coach of the Year distinction. Two Towson gymnasts received EAGL annual awards; Elise Tisler was named Specialist of the Year and Retoshia Halsell was tabbed Rookie of the year. Both gymnasts also picked up awards at the 2024 Golden Paws. The Black & Gold took 10 EAGL Weekly Awards and 21 All-EAGL selections, the most out of any team in the conference. At the conclusion of the season, Isabella Minervini and Elise Tisler were named First and Second Team All-Americans as both gymnasts ranked in the top 15 in the country in their respective events. This accomplishment marked the first time in Towson program history that two gymnasts were tabbed All-Americans in the same season. Minervini and Tisler are the third and fourth Towson gymnast All-Americans. The team tallied 57 career high scores, 81 podium finishes and nine perfect scores from one judge. Ramirez brought out the program’s depth as seven different athletes had first place finishes and 12 different Tigers posted scores of 9.9 or higher.
In his first season as head coach, Ramirez saw his team set and break new records even in a season that ended abruptly due to COVID-19. The Tigers finished 11-10 overall including a 5-1 home record and setting a new attendance record (1,029) on March 6. He also coached every single student-athlete into having new season-highs in their perspective events.
Over the next two seasons, Ramirez navigated the Tigers through uncertain times in college athletics, guiding Towson back to NCAA Regionals for the first time in two decades, reaching the regional round in both the 2021 and 2022 season. In the spring of 2022, Ramirez and the Tigers finished second at the EAGL Championship meet, the program's second-best finish ever at the league meet. For a second-straight season, Ramirez was selected as the EAGL Head Coach fo the Year, paired with his 2021 honor. Ramirez also had the Tigers finish with two of the highest team scores in Towson history.
Camille Vitoff,
Ally Wesoly,
Tess Zientek and
Emerson Hurst were named to the All-EAGL Second Team for their respective events. In 2023, the team won the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Championship for the first time in program history and saw its third consecutive NCAA appearance.
Ramirez came back to Towson after stints as an assistant coach from 2016-18 and 2003, plus was a volunteer coach in 1999. Eight of the top-10 Towson team scores all-time in meets have occurred while Ramirez was with the Black & Gold.
“I am extremely excited to be back at Towson and coaching these talented young women,” said Ramirez. “As an alumnus myself, I hope to make all Towson gymnastics alumnae proud to have been a Tiger. I hope to earn the respect of all these athletes so that we can thrive this year and future seasons to come.”
“We are thrilled to bring back Jay Ramirez to the Towson family,” said Towson Director of Athletics Tim Leonard. “Jay is a proud alum and accomplished coach. He will continue and strengthen the tradition of Towson gymnastics.”
In his stint from 2016-18 with the Tigers, Mary Elle Arduino, Tyra McKellar and Gabriella Yarussi all were NCAA qualifiers in the 2017 Gainesville Regional and the 2018 Raleigh Regional. The Tigers had four All-East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) selections each season, including First Team selections in all four events plus the all-around over the two years. McKellar earned three First Team All-EAGL selections, twice on uneven bars and once on floor exercise, Yarussi was First Team on the all-around and balance beam in 2017, Arduino picked up First Team on the balance beam in 2017 and Cortni Baker got First Team on the vault in 2018.
In 2003, Ramirez served as an assistant under Towson Athletics and WCGA Hall of Fame coach Dick Filbert. That year, the Tigers finished in the top-four in the EAGL championship meet, plus Kristen Presutti notched a perfect-10 on a floor exercise. Three gymnasts, Presutti, Jenn Baierlein and Juliya Kovaliova, earned First Team All-EAGL recognition, with Kovaliova being the EAGL champion on uneven bars.
He is a Level 10/Elite/TOPS coach for the Hill’s Gymnastics Center, helping train national, regional and state performers to titles. He coached Kytra Hunter, an All-Around NCAA Champion at the University of Florida, and Corrie Lothrop, an alternate for the 2008 U.S. National Team, plus represented Team USA Coaching in the Toyota Cup in Japan.
Ramirez also served as a coach at Chelsea Piers Gymnastics in New York, coaching levels four through 10 and instructional gymnastics. He had seven state championship team titles, 36 individual state champions and four individual regional champions.
Ramirez graduated from Towson in 2003 with a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration, having a concentration in marketing.
Ramirez lives with his family in Anneslie and has two children.
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