Phone : 898-5316

Email : [email protected]

Pronouns : she, her, hers

An Ivy Classic champion both as a student-athlete and assistant coach at Penn, Kirsten (Strausbaugh) Becker C'13 was promoted to the women's gymnastics head coaching position in May 2020 after serving five years as the program's assistant coach. During her time as an assistant coach, Becker helped lead the Quakers to the 2020 Ivy Classic title and their highest team score in program history in 2019.

Penn recorded a score of 194.850, its second-best score in the program's history, to win the Ivy Classic title in 2020. As the program's beam and floor exercise coach, Becker led the Quakers to their best beam score (49.125) in school history at the event.

In 2019, the Red and Blue compiled its best National Qualifying Score (NQS) ever as its score of 195.075 at Maryland was the best in program history, breaking a 15-year old record. The year before, Becker coached the program's first NCAA Regional qualifier in five years in Alex Hartke.

As an assistant coach, Becker mentored 20 All-ECAC gymnasts, six ECAC Scholar-Athletes, four ECAC individual champions, and three Ivy Classic champions. This past year, Penn freshmen were named ECAC Co-Specialist of the Year (McCaleigh Marr) and ECAC Co-Rookie of the Year (Rebekah Lashley). Both are firsts for the program.

A decorated collegiate gymnast for Penn, the former Kirsten Strausbaugh was a two-time team captain and the 2013 ECAC Gymnast of the Year. A two-time NCAA Regional qualifier, she helped the Quakers to two ECAC championships and two Ivy Classic titles. Strausbaugh was the 2013 USA Gymnastics Collegiate Nationals Uneven Bars champion and was Penn's nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award as a senior.

A 2013 Penn graduate with a degree in communication, she is currently pursuing a master's in organizational dynamics from the University. She is married to Penn football assistant coach and former Quakers quarterback Ryan Becker W'13 and they have a son, Drew.