During the 1990-91 school year several parents, spearheaded by Shirley Graves, lobbied the school board and athletic department to begin a high school gymnastics program within each high school. So in the summer of 1991 two junior high coaches were talked to by, then, athletic director James Hyden about starting up a gymnastics program for the district. Those two coaches were Craig Vogl and Duane Thurston. These two were both high school and college teammates in gymnastics, and were teaching and coaching together at Carter Junior High. Since both coaches were men, the district hired a female trainer to work with the team and Trinetta (Bowling) Perez has been with the team ever since. The district rented a facility at Arlington Gymnastics Club on Arkansas Lane for workouts in the morning and afternoon and so the first group of high school athletes began training gymnastics in the fall of 1991. About 25 girls and 10 boys made up the first AISD gymnastics team.
At that time high school gymnastics was split into two divisions. Division I teams had gymnasts that did no training outside of high school and Division II teams had at least one gymnast that trained at least some outside of the high school team at a club as well. The AISD teams had some girls that were taking gymnastics from local clubs and were placed in Division II. In the very first year of their existence the Martin girls team won the Region I Division II championship and were runners-up at state in the Division II team competition. This separation of divisions ended and combined in 1996.
After three years and a third place team finish, Coach Thurston decided to pursue an administrative certificate and retired from coaching. In the fall of 1994, Jim Varuska was hired as men's coach and stayed in the position for 13 years when he left for a job in east Texas in 2008. Wendy Teer then served as interim coach for one year and did such a fine job she was honored as Region IV men's coach of the year. In 2009, Devin Jenson was hired to coach the men and did so for 10 years.
After the first season, in which coaches Thurston and Vogl shared the girls team coaching responsibility, Coach Vogl assumed the role as girls head coach. He has helped to coach three state runner-up teams and has been named regional coach of the year four times. He was chosen to coach the Texas National High School team in 1995 and 1999. In 1995 he helped lead the girls from team Texas to the National Championship. There have been several assistant girl coaches over the years including: Kevin Bates, Nikki Cotton, Maria Butler, and Wendy (Graves) Teer who was a former Martin gymnast. Coach Vogl retired following the 2014-15 school year. The girls are now coached by Rachael Reed (formerly Hill, 2009 Martin graduate) and Amber Fellers (2010 Seguin graduate).
At that time high school gymnastics was split into two divisions. Division I teams had gymnasts that did no training outside of high school and Division II teams had at least one gymnast that trained at least some outside of the high school team at a club as well. The AISD teams had some girls that were taking gymnastics from local clubs and were placed in Division II. In the very first year of their existence the Martin girls team won the Region I Division II championship and were runners-up at state in the Division II team competition. This separation of divisions ended and combined in 1996.
After three years and a third place team finish, Coach Thurston decided to pursue an administrative certificate and retired from coaching. In the fall of 1994, Jim Varuska was hired as men's coach and stayed in the position for 13 years when he left for a job in east Texas in 2008. Wendy Teer then served as interim coach for one year and did such a fine job she was honored as Region IV men's coach of the year. In 2009, Devin Jenson was hired to coach the men and did so for 10 years.
After the first season, in which coaches Thurston and Vogl shared the girls team coaching responsibility, Coach Vogl assumed the role as girls head coach. He has helped to coach three state runner-up teams and has been named regional coach of the year four times. He was chosen to coach the Texas National High School team in 1995 and 1999. In 1995 he helped lead the girls from team Texas to the National Championship. There have been several assistant girl coaches over the years including: Kevin Bates, Nikki Cotton, Maria Butler, and Wendy (Graves) Teer who was a former Martin gymnast. Coach Vogl retired following the 2014-15 school year. The girls are now coached by Rachael Reed (formerly Hill, 2009 Martin graduate) and Amber Fellers (2010 Seguin graduate).
