Sports Performance

List of 6 items.

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  Candice Walls

  Director of Sports Performance
  candice.walls@js-ayds.com
  Bio
  Candice Walls is the Director of Sports Performance for Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado. She currently oversees and directs all Sports Performance for Mullen High School. She joined the Mustang Sports Performance Department in the Fall of 2020 after spending the previous 3 years at the University of Louisiana where she served as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Athletic Performance.

  At the University of Louisiana, Walls worked with the Women's Soccer and Women's Softball programs. During her time at Louisiana, she had also worked with Women’s Basketball and Women’s Tennis. She joined Louisiana Athletics' staff as Director of Strength Conditioning in July 2017 after spending the previous seven years at Baylor University where she served as the Director of Olympic Sports.

  
  Walls joined the Baylor staff in 2011 as the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports. In 2013 she was promoted to Director of Olympic Sports. She oversaw the Bears' Women's Soccer, Softball, Women’s Golf and Men's & Women's Cross-Country programs. She also assisted with Football, Track & Field, Cheer, Equestrian and Acrobatics & Tumbling teams.
   
  Prior to her work at Baylor University, she served a Graduate Assistant at The Citadel in South Carolina where she trained Women's Soccer, Volleyball, and Women's Golf. She also assisted with Track & Field, Men's Basketball, and Football.
   
  Prior to her work at The Citadel, she served as an intern at the University of Texas in 2009-2010 where she worked primarily with Football and Volleyball. Walls also interned during the summer of 2008 at Wake Forest University working with the Strength and Conditioning Department for Football and Women's Basketball.
   
  Walls, a Kentucky native, is a 2009 graduate of Berea College where she was a four-year letter winner and captain on the Basketball team. She earned her bachelor's degree in Health and Exercise Promotion with a minor in Health from Berea College. Walls completed her master's degree in Health and Exercise Sports Science from The Citadel in 2011.
   
  Walls holds her SCCC through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association and is certified as a Level 1 Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting.
   

  She currently resides in Denver, Colorado with her fiancé.
• 

  Jordan Speer

  Assistant Director of Sports Performance
  jordan.speer@js-ayds.com
  Bio
  Jordan Speer is a Assistant Director of Sports Performance for Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado. She joined the Sports Performance Department serving as a Sports Performance Fellow in 2022 after medically retiring from her 5-year collegiate athletic career as a thrower.

   

  Speer joined the Mustangs after spending the 2021-22 season competing in shot put and hammer for the University of Southern Mississippi. During the 2022 spring semester, Speer completed her practicum as an intern where she worked with the Football team. Prior to being a student-athlete at the University of Southern Mississippi, she served as a volunteer Athletic Performance intern at the University of Missouri.

   

  Throughout her senior year, Speer joined Mizzou’s Athletic Performance staff in 2020 where she assisted various sport training sessions. She primarily assisted with Baseball, Women’s Gymnastics, Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Swim & Dive, Track & Field, and Cross Country.

   

  Speer, a Kansas Native, is a 2021 graduate of the University of Missouri where she was a three-year letter winner as a shot put and hammer thrower. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology with a minor in Psychology. For her final year of throwing, she transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi to pursue a master’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Coach Education. Jordan graduated in December of 2022.

   

  Speer sat for her CSCS through the National Strength and Conditioning Association in the fall of 2022.
• 

  Kendrick Catron

  Sports Performance Assistant
  kendrick.catron@js-ayds.com
• 

  Connor Stanton

  Assistant Director of Sports Performance
  connor.stanton@js-ayds.com
• 

  Gretchen Cross

  Sports Performance Recovery Specialist
  gretchen.cross@js-ayds.com
  Bio
  Gretchen Cross is the Pilates specialist for Walls Performance and the Sports Performance Department at Mullen High School.  She joined Mullen High School in the Fall of 2020 after spending the past 14 years as a Pilates instructor and Personal Trainer in the private sector.  In addition to being the Pilates specialist, Gretchen is also a science teacher at Mullen High School and an assistant coach for Cross Country and Girls Soccer.

   

  Prior to her work at Mullen, Gretchen taught both equipment and mat-based Pilates classes and maintained a large and long-lasting individual client base.  She has taught Pilates at the Pilates Collective Denver, Schlessman Family YMCA, and Denver Parks and Recreation.  Gretchen was influential in growing the Pilates program at the Schlessman YMCA and founded the Pilates Reformer studio at that location.

   

  In conjunction with her Pilates instructing, Gretchen also taught group exercise classes in Body Pump, Cycling, and was a Personal Trainer for both the YMCA and Denver Parks and Recreation.

   

  Gretchen has also taught Pilates in Houston, Texas, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, building Pilates programs at the YMCA that employed her in those cities.

   

  Prior to her work as a Pilates instructor, Gretchen taught high school at the American School Foundation in Monterrey, Mexico and at Henry M. Jackson High School in Everett, Washington.  At Jackson High School, Gretchen was the Head Coach for the Girls Cross Country team and an assistant coach for Gymnastics and Track and Field,  

   

  Gretchen is a Washington state native and a 1995 graduate of Washington State University.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and a teaching certificate for grades 4-12.  In addition, she holds a Professional Teaching Certificate from Seattle University.  

   

  Coach Cross holds a National Pilates Comprehensive Certification and is certified through Balanced Body Pilates and the Pilates Sports Center.  As a Personal Trainer, Gretchen was certified through AFAA and NASM.

   

  Gretchen is an avid runner and strength training enthusiast in her spare time.  She is bilingual in Spanish and English.

   

  She currently resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Alejandro, two boys, Diego and Andres, and her dog, Sugar.
• 

  Bro Walls-Souza

  Support Staff
  Bio
  Bro Walls-Souza  is in his 4th season at Mullen High School as a support staff professional on the Sports Performance Staff.
  
  

  He began his career at Mullen High School in 2021, learning a high level of emotional intelligence by developing key relationships with the Mullen Student-Athletes; he was a friendly outlet for stress and offered comfort to all students. 
  
  

  Bro received his professional training at Art of Dog in Denver, Colorado, where he excelled and was valeDOGtorian. In his class he was voted the following: Best Fur, Most Friendly and Most Likely to become a Dog Star.
  
  

  Outside of Sports Performance, Coach Bro loves to chase his tail, take crazy long naps and hang out with his family. Bro also loves long walks with his dad and snuggle times with his people!