UWEC Athletics Hall of Fame
Jean DeLisle served as the Blugold women’s gymnastics coach from 2003-2018 with six teams qualifying for the NCGA nationals. Her 2004-05 team placed fourth in the NCGA nationals, at that time the highest finish ever for a Blugold team. She also coached national floor exercise champion Theresa Lynch and national balance beam champion Michaela McCamey-Metropulos. With 15 seasons as the Blugold women’s gymnastics coach, DeLisle retired in 2017-18 as the second-longest tenured coach in program history, exceeded only by Hall of Famer Mary Mero who coached 21 seasons. In the spring of 2023, DeLisle was inducted into the NCGA Hall of Fame after a 25-year career that also included 10 seasons as head coach at UW-River Falls. Under her guidance, 13 Blugold gymnasts achieved 37 All-American performances. DeLisle was named the WIAC Coach of the Year in 2005-06, 2011-12 and 2012-13. She also won the award in 1995-96 at River Falls. With DeLisle at the helm, the Blugolds finished conference runner-up three times in addition to the six teams that qualified for nationals.
During her 15 seasons as the Blugold headmaster, DeLisle drove daily to Eau Claire from St. Paul where she was raising her two children. DeLisle grew up as a gymnast, competing four seasons on varsity at River Falls High School. She started her collegiate career at UW-River Falls. But during the pre-season of her sophomore season, she sustained a career-ending injury which was the segway into her collegiate coaching career. She became a volunteer assistant under Connie Foster at UWRF for the remainder of her undergraduate program. Following her graduation with a physical education major, she became an assistant at River Falls High School. She then ran a private gymnastics club program in Lakeville, Minnesota for a year until returning to UWRF as an assistant coach in 1991-92. She was hired as the head coach the following year. At the time of her induction, DeLisle was an Administrative Specialist at the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services in St. Paul, focusing on purchasing and inventory control.
