Meet our Awesome Staff

Sarah  Southern

I am a current student at Boise State. I have 3 years of coaching experience in recreational and competitive gymnastics. I did gymnastics for 12 years growing up before dancing competitively for 5 years. My favorite event to coach is beam! I love to explore the outdoors in my free time, especially on the water with my friends and family. I am looking forward to graduating with my Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship Management in the spring of 2024 and continuing to coach gymnastics!

Megan Grigsby

I was a level 9 gymnast by the age of 14 and was raised in the gym with both my parents coaching. I gained a love of the sport as a young girl and enjoyed challenging myself to try new things and the confidence I gained as I performed in competitions. I also did competitive dancing throughout my childhood and appreciate the art of movement and being able to express myself through dance. I’ve been coaching and doing choreography for 11 years and judging for 9 years. I love helping kids to learn how to communicate their goals, make a plan, and see them accomplish what they set out to do. In my free time I like to listen to music, ride my bicycle, and quilt. I’m looking forward to helping the girls achieve their dreams and get to know the families at Bronco Elite. Go Bronco!

Shelly Carnes

Shelly has been coaching since 1989. She has degrees from BSU in Social Science and History. Shelly loves dogs, traveling, being outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

Savannah “Cakes” Adams

Savannah is a former Bronco Elite Gymnast who is excited to be back in the gym coaching! She loves cats and in her free time she enjoys hanging out with her friends and exploring!

Paige Gallegos:

I did gymnastics for 5 years 4 of those years being at bronco. After I stopped being a gymnast I started to coach. My favorite event to do was beam but my favorite event to coach is bars. In my free time I like to run, hang out with friends, and spend time with family. My plan for the future is to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Dawn Smith:

I was a gymnast for 15 years! I’ve coached gymnastics for 6 years, 3 of those being at Bronco. I love coaching beam and bars! In my free time I like to spend time with my friends, watch reality TV, and spend time outside! I will be graduating this May from BSU and plan on continuing to coach for Bronco while pursuing a career in the criminal justice field.

Sofie Riley

Sofie is in her senior year at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she is the Team Captain of the school’s Division 1 Gymnastics Team. She competed at Bronco Elite from 2007-2016, where she trained with Lexi Walmer under Brandon Paine (who put up with her craziness and inflexibility on a daily basis…sorry Brandon!) She’s currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education, and has a minor in Spanish. She loves working as a recreational gymnastics coach and summer camp counselor.

Kristina Carmen:

Kristina (commonly known as Ktina around the gym) has been coaching gymnastics for 23 years, and has been at Bronco for 14! Here at Bronco she coaches levels 4-7. When she’s not coaching she loves spending time outdoors; camping, fishing, rafting, and hanging out with her nieces and nephews!  Fun Fact: She grew up in Wisconsin, so she’s a huge Green Bay Packers fan!

Brittani Roe:
 
Brittani has been coaching for 10 years, and has been at Bronco for 7 years. Not only is she an amazing coach, but she’s also a Junior High Special Education teacher! She also is the director of the Montana Miss Amazing program, and she competes in pageants on her own!
 

Gracie Grant

I was a competitive gymnast at Auburn Gymnastics in Washington for 14(ish) years, and I was on the Acrobatics and Tumbling team at Azusa Pacific University for my first two years of my collegiate experience! I’ve coached on and off since I was 15 but this is my first year coaching at Bronco! My favorite event was floor, but I love to coach Bars and Beam! In my free time, I love to travel or go on fun trips wether they be close or far, I love to go on walks, I love going to concerts specifically country, and I love being surrounded by my favorite people! I plan to become an Elementary School teacher with a minor in Special Education. I don’t know where I plan to end up yet, but I’m excited for wherever teaching takes me!

 

 
Ashlynn Graefe:
 
I was a gymnast for 6 years, 4 of them at bronco. I’ve been coaching junior team for 4 years now. My favorite events to coach are vault and beam. In my free time I love to travel and spend time with family. My plan for the future in to get a MD in Orthopedic Medicine and become a Physical Therapist.
 
Carley Lowe:
 
I have been with Bronco Elite a total of 10 years, taking a break to get married and have two children. I’m originally from Oregon and graduated from Oregon State with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science. I was a gymnast for 15 years and fell in love with the sport early on. I love coaching team gymnastics and watching the girls progress. My favorite event to coach is bars.
 
In my free time I love spending time with my family, going to the lake, hiking with my dogs and running. I also truly enjoy watching my kids do sports and become athletes themselves. My plan for the future is be be my kids biggest cheerleader and support them in all they do. And, continue to coach the sport I love.
 
Kheri Armer-Newell:
 
Kheri grew up in a small town in Northern Arizona, first getting into gymnastics at the local YMCA because there was no option for diving, a sport her mom would have preferred her to be in.  After 10+ years of competitive gymnastics, Kheri moved to the Valley of the Sun to pursue an interior design degree during which time she was able to find an adult gymnastics class and get back into the gym.
After completing an interior design degree, Kheri started working for the US Forest Service as a Wildland Firefighter during the fire season and traveling the rest of the year. Her love for architecture and the outdoors came together and she returned to school, ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Arizona State University.

Since moving to Boise with her family, Kheri works as a landscape designer in the Treasure Valley and coaches at Bronco Elite.  Kheri loves to watch as the kids progress in their gymnastics abilities, including her 2 daughters, the excitement they have when learning new skills and the pride kids feel when they realize what they can accomplish.

When Kheri isn’t at the gym or designing outdoor living spaces, she loves to travel, and most anything outdoors with her family.  She is ecstatic to be able to get back into the gym to practice and coach the sport she loves, once again.
 

Athletic Director

Brandon Paine, Athletic Director & Head Team Coach

Brandon has gained many years of gymnastics-specific coaching experience from 4 states and 3 regions. He has taught college courses at Phoenix College, and Great Basin College where he also acted as the PE Department Chair. He served as a Graduate Teaching and Coaching Assistant at both Western Oregon University and Iowa State University. He was a Volunteer Assistant Coach with Boise State Gymnastics for 7 years. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Health & Human Performance and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. In his spare time he enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing, white water rafting, wake boarding, and snow boarding. Brandon has been the Idaho Coach of the Year and a Region 2 Coach of the Year nominee multiple times.