Staff – United Sports Academy

Dima Raynova

Emilia McCormick

Alexis Martin

Brad Eisele

Mia DeAntonio

Silvia Topalova

Omar Egas

Heather Woloszyn

Erik Elliot

Ivan Raynov

Gianna Muracco

Elissa Loubet

Molly McCafferty

Chloe Larsen

Gabrielle Lavasseur

Kayley Jones

Alyssa Daubert

Jillian DeSando

Taegan Mills

Melissa Delfino

Nia Ivanov

Faith Hosie

Tayler Osterhout

Lauren Beck

Alexis Marder

Madelyn Mucha

Madalyn Demianovich

Mia Capooci

Bryce Bandru

Matt Troiani

Carlos Orta

Jakob Seamans

Alex Grodzka-Erazo

Katie Capooci

Zach Thurber

DIMA Raynova is the owner of United Sports Academy and has been involved in gymnastics since 1972. As a Bulgarian National Team member she competed in the 1980 Olympics. Dima holds a Bachelors Degree in Physical Education. For the past 16 years, Dima has coached beginner gymnasts through level 10. With her expertise and help she has developed over 200 state champions, regional medalists, national qualifiers and scholarship recipients Her reputation and love of the sport brought together a strong team of coaches and staff at United Sports Academy. Their combined national and international experience far exceeds any local gymnastics club and is comparable only with the very best in the industry around the world. Dima prides herself on developing a nurturing relationship with each individual gymnast, from when they first step in to the gym, to when they select their college. In 2013, in effort to give back to the community, she and her daughter structured a new non-profit organization called Athletes Caring Together, Inc. The main goal of ACT is to enrich the lives of less fortunate children through sports.

EMILIA McCormick is the Director of Operations for United Sports Academy. Prior to her career, she attended the Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a degree in Psychology. Her love for children and sports led her to founding the non-profit organization, Athletes Caring Together, Inc., whose mission is providing life-changing opportunities to children and empowering athletes to make a difference through the sports they love. Emilia, along with her husband Kevin McCormick, are also the owners of Mayfield Sports Complex, a facility that provides various physical fitness activities like roller skating, golf driving range, fitness classes such as cardio kickboxing, spin, zumba, etc. On her time off from business management, she enjoys spending her spare time outdoors, traveling, hiking, playing with her puppies and spending time with her family and friends.

Alexis is the Program Director for Our Ninja Nook location, our Trampoline and Tumbling Team Manager, and a trampoline and tumbling team coach. She is also the Trampoline and Tumbling meet director at our JRM meet. Alexis has been involved in the sport of gymnastics for over 30 years. She was a competitive gymnast from 6 years old to 17 years old, and started teaching gymnastics at the age of 18. Alexis graduated with honors from The University of Scranton with a bachelors degree in Communications, and a master’s degree in Human Resources Administration. She was also the Varsity basketball cheerleading coach at Scranton Preparatory School from 2008-2019. Outside of the gym, Alexis enjoys spending time with her best friend, her mom. She also enjoys yoga, meditation, and home decor. Alexis loves spending time with her family, and going for walks with her fur baby Brody.

Brad Eisele is the Class Program Manager for our Dunmore and Scranton locations as well as a Team Coach for both our XCEL and Tumble Team programs. Brad has proudly been with United Sports Academy for the past 20 years.

During that time Coach Brad has worked and continues to work with gymnasts from our Pre-School Program all the way to our Competitive Team Programs.

Aside from gymnastics Coach Brad spent many years coaching All-Star Cheerleading, dancing ballet ( Brad is also one of our team choreographers for Beam and Floor routines) and performing for area theaters as well as local Opera groups. One of his favorite hobbies is singing at area nursing homes.

Coach Brad is also a HUGE Disney fan! He proudly brags that he performed in the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, served as Grand Marshal for a Disney Hollywood Studios Parade (got to lead it by riding in Walt Disney’s car!!!) but he is also the Disney Record Holder for most consecutive rides on Rock-N- Roller Coaster (121).

If you see Coach Brad be sure to say hello and he will be sure to wish you a MAGICAL DAY!

Mia has been involved in the sport of gymnastics for over 30 years. She has played the role of a successful competitive gymnast, class instructor, team coach, program director, and gym manager. Mia has coached a multitude of levels including J.O levels 3-9 and IGC levels copper-gold, culminating in numerous State and Regional Champions as well as a number of National Qualifiers. Currently, Mia is our Team Manager, coaches J.O compulsory groups, and heads our Hot Shots and Future Stars programs. Mia graduated from Marywood University with a master’s degree in Psychology and also holds a School Psychology certification. Outside of the gym, Mia enjoys yoga, baking, and spending time with her husband and two girls, Antonia and Viviana.

Silvia Topalova is a seasoned veteran in the sport of gymnastics. Aside from being a 2 time Olympian for Bulgeria, Silvia spent many years competing on an International Level appearing numerous times at the World Championships (1978,1979, 1981,1983), Balkan Championships (1981,1982,1985), European Championships (1981,1985) and many other International Competitions. Silvia also received a Silver Medal on Uneven Bars at the 1984 American Cup and finished that competition 5th in the All Around.Since retiring from active competition Silvia has had an equally successful career as a coach. For the past several years Silvia has been coaching in Puerto Rico and in the 2012 London Olympic Games one of Silvia’s gymnasts Lorena Quinones Moreno competed for her home country of Puerto Rico.

Omar Egas is a Competitive Team Coach at USA. He is a former Ecuadorian National and South American Champion. Omar has coached beginner to elite gymnastics for over 20 years. Omar is one of the original team coaches of Keystone Gymnastics, which later became United Sports Academy. He has contributed to the success of several Junior Olympic National qualifiers and Medalists as well as gymnasts who received athletic scholarships to universities such as Rutgers, Michigan St, Temple, Kentucky and Northern Illinois. Omar is also the Meet Director of the Janet Rothenberg Memorial, the largest gymnastics meet in our area boasting almost 1,000 gymnasts in 2014. When not in the gym you might find Omar on the Golf course, perfecting his swing.

Heather Woloszyn is our preschool program manager. She also teaches recreational gymnastics classes and organizes themes and activities for our summer camps. Heather has 14 years gymnastics teaching experience. She hold a bachelors degree in health and physical education from Marywood University. Outside of the gym she enjoys hockey, crafting, painting, being outdoors and spending time with her family.

Erik Elliot is a Recreational Gymnastics Instructor. He has been enthusiastically teaching gymnastics for the past 20 years. Erik is one of the original coaches of Keystone Gymnastics, which later became United Sports Academy. He and his wife Carol have 4 daughters, 2 of which were competitive gymnasts. When not in the gym, you can find Erik swimming, skiing, hiking, or biking. Erik loves all outdoor activities and enjoys life to the fullest.

Gianna Muracco has been a recreational gymnastics instructor at United Sports Academy for 9 years. She has been involved with gymnastics from a recreational aspect since she was eight and has continued in the sport in different capacities ever since. Gianna Graduated from Marywood University with a degree in Health and Physical Education and earned her masters of teaching degree at Marywood. Currently, she is a Health and Physical Education teacher in the Dunmore School District, adjunct professor at Johnson College and a board member of Athletes Caring Together, a non-profit organization whose mission is providing life-changing opportunities to children and empowering athletes to make a difference through the sports they love. When she is not teaching, she is usually instructing many Zumba and Spin classes in the area, working out with her friends or doing various outdoor activities. Gianna also is a volunteer for many community events such as Race for the Cure, St. Josephs Festival, and the Annual summer festival at Sherwood Park in Dunmore.

Elissa Loubet is the dance teacher at United Sports Academy. She graduated from Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance. She then owned and operated Cornerstone Dance Conservatory for 8 years. She has choreographed 7 musicals for Hunterdon Central Regional High School. She has danced in NYC Times Square with Project Dance and was the resident choreographer for Stonecrest Community Church’s dance ministry. Her favorite dancer of all time is Gene Kelly. In her spare time she likes to take walks with her husband and son.

Molly McCafferty is a recreational gymnastics instructor at United Sports Academy. She is also a former gymnast of United Sports Academy. Molly is a graduate of Dunmore High School and Bloomsburg University. While at Bloomsburg University, she earned a degree in Middle Level Mathematics Education. Molly also obtained a minor in Spanish, which she completed at the University of Granada in Granada, Spain. Currently, Molly is the 5th Grade Mathematics Teacher at the Dunmore Elementary Center. Aside from her employment at USA and the Dunmore School District, Molly also teaches for a summer Migrant Education Program, referees PIAA Girls and Boys Volleyball, coaches a AAU Girls Volleyball Team and Basketball Cheerleading. She is currently working towards a masters degree in Instructional Media and a STEM endorsement from Wilkes University. When she is not teaching and coaching, Molly loves to travel; She has been to 12 countries and counting!

CHLOE Larsen has been in gymnastics since she was three years old. She competed in artistic gymnastics for three years. After a short break from the sport, she returned to the gym and fell in love with competitive trampoline. She competed trampoline and double mini for five years before retiring from the sport due to a knee injury. Chloe has been coaching for three years and currently teaches ninja warrior, gymnastics, and trampoline classes. When not in the gym, you can find Chloe hanging with friends, traveling, or looking for an adventure.

Gabrielle Levasseur is a class instructor at United Sports Academy. She started gymnastics in recreational classes until she joined the tumbling team in the Scranton location of United Sports Academy in 2018 but left to pursue coaching in 2021. She currently attends Abington Heights High School as a senior. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and hanging out with friends.

Kayley Jones has been involved in gymnastics at USA since she was 3 years old. She has been a member of the JO team since she was 5 years old. Now at 17 years of age, she is in her second year of level 10 and a senior year at North Pocono High School. Kayley plans to attend college in hope of achieving a degree in Biology to become a Physician’s Assistant. When she’s not at the gym practicing, you can catch her playing with her dogs, hanging out with her friends, or lifting weights at CrossFit.

Jillian DeSando is a recreational class instructor and a birthday party host at United Sports Academy. Jillian is a Dunmore High School graduate and now attends the University of Pittsburgh to study Business Information Systems. She competed for United Sports Academy for 6 years and also did cheer, volleyball, swim, and track in high school. In her spare time, she loves to watch Netflix and spend time with her family, friends, and dog.

Taegan Mills is a recreational class instructor at United Sports Academy. She is from Montrose, PA. Taegan competed in gymnastics for most of her elementary and high school career. In high school, she was involved in many activities including competitive golf, student government, and volunteer work with the local food bank. She loves to share the sport of gymnastics with other little gymnasts and learn something new every day. She currently attends the University of Scranton majoring in political science and criminal justice, hoping to one day be a lawyer in the Army.

Melissa is an Elementary Physical Education teacher in the North Pocono School District and has been there the last 16 years. Her background in gymnastics goes back to 1977 where she first started taking classes at the YMCA in Dunmore. Falling instantly in love with the sport, she continued as a competitor and in 1986 became PIAA District II Floor Exercise Champion. She started teaching gymnastics classes

during high school and then in her freshman year of college was offered the head coach position at Valley View High School, leading the woman’s gymnastics team to a District Championship. The following year, she was offered a coaching position at the Astronauts School of Gymnastics in Scranton, under the direction of Pat Ahern. She spent the next 8 years there while pursuing a B.S. degree in Health

and Physical Education from Marywood University and then a Master’s in Educational Development and Strategies from Wilkes’s University. In 1996, along with Joseph McIntyre, she opened Keystone Gymnastics in Dunmore (now United Sports Academy). During her time at Keystone Gymnastics, she was involved in teaching all levels of instruction from pre-school to the J.O. Competitive Team through

Level 10 and specialized in Balance Beam and Floor Exercise Choreography. Melissa has coached hundreds of gymnasts through her career and is pleased to go back to her roots as she returns to United Sports Academy. Melissa resides in Dunmore with her husband, Joseph and her three daughters, Gianna, Elisa and Sienna.

Nia Ivanov is a recreational class instructor as well as a birthday party host at United Sports Academy. She graduated from Abington Heights High School and is currently studying Health Science at Frostburg State University. She started gymnastics as a little girl in Puerto Rico. When she moved to Pennsylvania in 2013, she continued her gymnastics career at United Sports Academy where she was a level 10 competitive gymnast and also formed friendships and gained experiences and lessons that will last a lifetime. She is now competing on the Acrobatics and Tumbling team at Frostburg State University on an athletic and academic scholarship.

Faith Hosie is a birthday party and open gym instructor. She is an honors student at Holy Cross and participates in soccer as goalkeeper for her school. Faith will be attending the University of Connecticut for Marine Biology this fall.

Tayler Osterhout is a birthday party and open gym instructor. Tayler has been doing gymnastics since the age of 3. She is currently a Level 10 gymnast and a senior in high school at Abington Heights. Tayler will be attending The University of Maryland on a full athletic scholarship for gymnastics. She plans on majoring in Kinesiology. When Tayler is not in the gym you can see her cheering for her fellow comet football players. She is also captain of the cheer squad.

Lauren Beck has been a member of the United Sports Academy family since 2016. She started her competitive gymnastics career at the age of 8 and has competed in the USAIGC and XCEL programs. Lauren has won many individual and team awards at local, state and regional levels. She ended her gymnastics career in 2022 and is now coaching gymnastics. She currently attends Mid Valley High School and in her spare time you can find Lauren dancing, reading, and hanging out with friends.

Alexis Marder a high school junior who works at the Ninja Nook as well as The Rink at Mayfield. One of Alexis’s favorite ways to pass times is going on walks or trying new foods with her friends. When Alexis isn’t working she is usually spending time with her family.

Madelyn Mucha is a class instructor at United Sports Academy. She has been involved in gymnastics at USA since she was 3 years old, and is now competing for United Sports Academy’s Trampoline and Tumbling Team as a level 10 gymnast. She is currently a sophomore at North Pocono High School. In her free time she enjoys being with friends, family, and her dogs.

Madalyn Demianovich is an open gym and birthday party instructor at United Sports Academy. Madalyn did gymnastics for 7 years and is now a football and basketball cheerleader. Madalyn is an honors student at Lakeland high school. When she’s not in the gym, she enjoys shopping and hanging out with friends and family. Her favorite thing to do is play with her dog, Stella.

Mia Capooci is a class, open gym, and birthday party instructor at United Sports Academy. She is a member of the National Honor Society at Dunmore High School and a part of the Varsity Football Cheer Squad. Outside of work, Mia enjoys hanging out with friends, painting, and family activities.

Bryce Bandru works as the office manager at USA Ninja Nook. He also runs the social media accounts for United Sports Academy. Bryce is a graduate of DeSales University with a BA in Communication.

Matt is a ninja/adventure class instructor and birthday party host for United Sports Academy. He has been physically active and athletically involved throughout his life with a passion for running and exercise. He graduated from Holy Cross High School in 2018 and graduated with a degree in occupational therapy from Misericordia University in 2023. Outside of United Sports Academy, Matthew enjoys being outdoors, hiking, running, cooking, and playing basketball. Matt popularized the speed walls at USA Ninja Nook, holding the longest reigning record for fastest time on the speed walls for 11 months straight. The Speed Wall of Fame is name after him because of this feat.

Carlos Orta is a Senior at Johnson College in Dickson City, PA. Carlos is a Ninja Instructor and Birthday Party Host at USA Ninja Nook. Carlos’s favorite thing about working at USA Ninja Nook is Teaching and Bonding with his Ninja Students.

Jakob Seamans is a freshman at Lackawanna College in Scranton, PA. Jakob is the current record holder of the fastest speed wall time at USA Ninja Nook at 1.92 seconds! Jakob is a Ninja & Rock Climbing Instructor at USA Ninja Nook where his favorite thing to do is to set challenging rock climbing routes.

Alex Grodzka-Erazo is a Sophomore at Lakeland High School in Scott Twp, PA. Alex teaches Gymnastics, Ninja & Rock Climbing classes at USA Ninja Nook. Before working at USA Ninja Nook Alex was a gymnast at United Sports Academy in Scranton for 8 years! Alex is currently cheerleader at her school.