Family Foundations

Emily Barrett Payne and her husband, Colin Payne, never fathomed they would coach together at the same school. That remarkable reality came together rather quickly when Simpson announced plans three years ago to add women’s and men’s gymnastics. And judging by their first two seasons, the Paynes are perfectly paired to lead the new programs.  

Their path to Simpson began at the Naval Academy, an NCAA Division I program where Colin was an assistant coach for a dominant team that claimed four conference titles in his four years there. During that time, he became a member of his coach’s association executive committee that was seeking ways to grow the sport beyond NCAA Division I.

Colin’s committee sought the assistance of USA Gymnastics, which opened doors to creating new programs in NCAA Division III — including at Simpson. As one of the few experienced coaches available for such an opportunity, Colin found himself on the short list of top candidates. He came to Simpson for an interview visit, and the rest is history.

“Meeting the staff and other coaches, it seemed like the right fit,” said Colin. “And for a sport that has given me so much, what better way to give back than to help build one of the first new programs in over 60 years.”

At the time, Emily was coaching club gymnastics, working with high school athletes. But as a former college gymnast she missed the college atmosphere. So, during Colin’s preliminary exploration of the men’s position at Simpson, he asked if there might be an opportunity for Emily to serve as an assistant for Simpson’s women’s program. The recruiter told Colin, “No, but she can be the head coach.”

The surprising response left Emily stunned — and a bit terrified.

“I was like, ’No, thank you — that’s scary!’ said Emily. “It took a few weeks of Colin’s reassurances and convincing before I moved forward. But I think it was the right move for the two of us. It’s very rare that he can coach the men’s side and I can coach the women’s side at the same time. We knew this opportunity probably wasn’t going to come open ever again.”

Growing Teams from Coast to Coast

Their immediate coaching challenge focused on recruitment and roster building during a year-long ramp up to their programs’ competition debuts in January 2023. Emily landed 15 first-year recruits — finding talent all across the country, from New York to California.

“I had a really great experience being recruited by Emily,” said Bella Dix ’26, an all-around gymnast from Naperville, Ill. “She just boosted my confidence to be a college gymnast.”

Kaelyn Tally ’26, an all-around competitor from Grants Pass, Ore., says it didn’t take long for the new team to form a bond.

“Only a few of us knew each other from previous gyms and half of us were from opposite sides of the country,” said Tally. “But I also knew that in gymnastics people grow so close so quickly because we’re in the gym all the time and just hanging out together or sharing the same classes. So, you kind of already have 15 new best friends. Having that sense of comfort makes coming so far away from home 10 times easier.”

This past season, the women’s program welcomed eight new team members, including Emma Charles ’27, who became the first in program history to qualify for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championships, where she competed on vault.

“Joining Simpson’s program has definitely been what I expected, probably even more because we’ve all gotten so close,” said Charles. “Since we are such a small team and a new team, we’re figuring things out along the way together, which I think has bonded us a lot more.”

Reaching for the Highest Bar

The men’s team, which also features a geographically diverse roster, sent five athletes to the National Collegiate Men’s Gymnastics Championships. Michelangelo Villani ’26, Shrewsbury, Mass., represented the Storm for the second time as an all-around competitor while Milo Staley ’26, Ann Arbor, Mich., made his nationals debut in the same event. Other Storm taking part in nationals included Brian Rollison ’27, Warren, Ohio, (still rings); Jake Smith ’27, Ocean, N.J., (high bar); and Alex Catchpole ’26, Nashua, N.H., (pommel horse and parallel bars).

“Being part of a new team, just creating that legacy, that’s so cool,” said Staley. “I want to be part of that and to help build it up. So, I figured I’d give it a chance — and I love it here.”

Looking to build on their early successes, Emily and Colin share the lofty goal of having their squads qualify for nationals as full teams. The men participate in the Eastern College Athletic Conference and next year the women will make their debut in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The competition is fierce, but the coaches like their teams’ trajectory.

“What I’m most encouraged about is the community piece and how these guys have come together,” said Colin. “I can see it. We’ve got things to work through and build on, but the group of guys that we have and the culture we are setting speaks volumes about these guys.”

Already anticipating the impact of adding six new recruits next season, Emily has plenty of reasons for growing optimism.

“We’re not graduating anyone yet,” said Emily. “So, over the next two years we’re just going to keep getting experience and more people that can kind of fill in the gaps of what we may be missing skill or score wise. I think I’ve also become more confident in my ability as a coach — and I’m pushing the team more. I’m excited about our future.”