Kutztown University Athletics

Karah (Naples) Paull, who has presided over Kutztown's acrobatics & tumbling program since its inception, enters her fourth season as the Golden Bears' head coach in 2025.

Kutztown's ascent as a program as been rapid under the leadership of Paull. She laid the foundation for the program in 2021 before the Bears made their debut in 2022. KU claimed its first victory in just its second meet, defeating East Stroudsburg 210.245-182.135, and went on to post a 3-3 overall record in its inaugural season. The follow-up campaigns have been even better with winning records in 2023 (5-3) and 2024 (6-3), along with the program's first-ever appearance at the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) Event Finals.

The improvement from year one to year two was staggering for the Maroon and Gold, with its heat and meet scores rising significantly. Kutztown posted a 4-0 record at home in 2023 and captured its first win over a nationally ranked opponent, downing No. 15 West Liberty 249.280-246.050 on March 25.

Kutztown registered a program-record six victories in 2024, while setting meet records in 13 heats and compulsory, acro, tumbling, and team events. Paull's team established a new meet-high score with a 256.830 in a victory at Glenville State, March 13. For the season, KU recorded high averages in all six events (compulsory, acro, pyramid, toss, tumbling and team event) and 14-of-19 heats.

The Golden Bears were represented on the national stage for the first time when the acro 5-element squad qualified for the 2024 NCATA Event Finals in Fairmont, W.Va. Kutztown tied for fourth in the event with a 9.525.

A four-year member of the acrobatics & tumbling team at Fairmont State University, Paull's career culminated with NCATA All-America and Mountain East Conference (MEC) Athlete of the Year honors in 2019.
 
The Falcons soared to new heights during Paull’s time there, making three NCATA National Championships appearances and winning the first-ever MEC regular season and tournament championships in 2019.
 
Following her career as a student-athlete, the Woodbridge, Va., native immediately joined the staff of her former head coach and mentor Kristi Kiefer as a graduate assistant coach for the 2020 season. Learning from the 2019 NCATA National Coach of the Year, the former Karah Naples helped Fairmont State get off to a 4-0 start before the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly ended its season.
 
When Kiefer retired from coaching to focus on her administrative role within the Fairmont State athletic department following the 2020 season, Paull remained on staff to assist longtime Falcons assistant coach Danielle Cutri, who was elevated to head coach. The program had three straight winning seasons heading into 2021, including Paull's senior season in 2019 when the program set a new benchmark with eight meet victories (8-2) and advanced to the NCATA quarterfinals.
 
Paull brought experience from both sides of the mat to the newly-formed KU program. As a graduate assistant coach, she was responsible for all aspects of recruiting, monitoring NCAA eligibility of student-athletes, budgeting, and designing daily practice and workout schedules. She also worked as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. Paull first dipped her toes in the coaching pool at Ariel Port Gymnastics Center in Fairmont, W.Va., leading a compulsory and optional level competition team since 2017.

In addition to being selected as an All-American and MEC Athlete of the Year, Paull was twice recognized as MEC Athlete of the Week and NCATA Specialist of the Week during the 2019 season. She qualified as an individual for the NCATA Event Finals on three occasions.
 
Paull received her Bachelor of Science in exercise science from Fairmont State in 2019 and her Master of Education in exercise physiology from the school in 2021.

 

KARAH PAULL YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORD
		Overall			Conference
Year	School	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Postseason & Honors
2022	Kutztown	3	3	.500	-	-	-
2023	Kutztown	5	3	.625	-	-	-
2024	Kutztown	6	3	.667	-	-	-	NCATA Event Finals
COACHING TOTALS
3 Seasons	Kutztown	14	9	.609	-	-	-
3 Seasons		14	9	.609	-	-	-

Updated 7/1/24