Women's Gymnastics
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- kalandru@ncsu.edu
- Phone:
- (919) 515-2938
During the 2025 season, she led the team to its 34th-consecutive NCAA appearance following a historic campaign. The year began with the highest season opening score in program history, a 195.825. NC State maintained its strong performance with a five week stretch of scores above 196, capped by a season best 197.025 in a win over in-state ACC rival North Carolina.
Ashley Knight and Elle Hadrick earned spots on the ACC Championship Team, with Knight recognized for vault and floor and Hadrick for bars and floor. Chloe Negrete delivered a standout season, becoming the first NC State gymnast in ten years to earn regular season All-America honors from the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association. She was also named WCGA Southeast Gymnast of the Year, the second-straight year a Wolfpack gymnast received the award under Landrus.
A 14-time all-conference honoree and nine-time conference championship honoree, Negrete led the team with 24 podium finishes and 13 individual titles in her final year. NC State remained in the top 25 nationally throughout the season, continuing its tradition of excellence under Landrus.
In 2024, Landrus led the Pack to one of the most successful seasons in program history, as the Wolfpack claimed both the ACC regular season and championship titles. The team recorded four scores of 197 or higher over the course of the year. The ACC Championship marked the program’s eighth conference title, with NC State posting its highest road score in program history. The victory secured the Wolfpack’s first ACC title since 1984.
Emily Shepard earned the All-Around crown with a score of 39.500 and was named ACC Gymnast of the Year, becoming the first NC State gymnast to win the conference gymnast of the year award three times. Chloe Negrete was honored as the ACC Specialist of the Year after scoring a meet high 9.950 on beam and a 9.975 on floor. Ashley Knight captured the ACC vault title with a score of 9.900. Negrete also set a program record for the most scores of 9.900 or higher on beam with 13 and on floor with 23 under Landrus’s guidance.
In 2023, Landrus guided the Pack to its highest score in a home opener in program history with a 196.375 against nationally ranked Michigan State on January 9. At the EAGL Championships, senior Lex Ortega won the All-Around title with a score of 39.250. Landrus also helped senior Chloe Negrete earn Comeback Gymnast of the Year honors from College Gym News after she returned from a season-ending injury in 2022. She additionally guided then senior Emily Shepard to her second-consecutive EAGL Gymnast of the Year award. During the season, Shepard reached 100 career podium finishes under Landrus’s guidance.
In 2022, Landrus led the Pack to multiple program-defining performances. A score of 196.925 at a quad meet hosted by Maryland ranked as the third highest in program history and featured five routines that scored 9.900 or higher. The squad also set a school record on bars with a team score of 49.450, achieved with all six gymnasts in the lineup scoring at least a 9.825.
Under Landrus’s leadership, then junior Emily Shepard set the program record for the most career scores of 9.900 or higher, totaling 25 through her first three seasons. Sophomore Carina Jordan recorded a 9.950 on bars in a dual meet against Temple, tying the third highest score on the event in school history.
The 2021 season saw Landrus lead the team through the NCAA Athens Regional, where NC State posted three-consecutive scores of 196.000 or higher across three days of competition. Each of the scores marked one of the highest postseason totals in program history. During the regular season, the Wolfpack was named the 2021 EAGL Regular Season Champion, following up on a title it shared with New Hampshire in the 2020 season.
That year, sophomore Emily Shepard was named EAGL Gymnast of the Year, becoming just the fourth gymnast in program history to receive the honor and the second in as many seasons for NC State. Shepard also earned WCGA Region Five Gymnast of the Year recognition, becoming the first NC State gymnast to claim the award since 2008. The Wolfpack totaled 11 All-EAGL selections for the 2020-21 campaign, including nine First Team honors.
In 2020, Landrus guided the Wolfpack to a league-leading 19 All-EAGL honors, including 12 First Team selections. The 12 First Team nods were the most in the conference, while the team’s seven Second Team selections tied for the most in the EAGL. Landrus was named EAGL Head Coach of the Year for the second-consecutive season.
NC State surpassed the 196.000 mark five times during the season, highlighted by a season-best 196.550 in its final meet against Minnesota. The team finished the year ranked in the top 25 nationally on bars (No. 25), beam (No. 25), and floor (No. 23).
Under Landrus’ leadership, the Wolfpack tallied 92 podium finishes, including 34 individual titles. Four athletes earned EAGL weekly honors throughout the season. Drew Grantham and Lauren Kent were both named EAGL Gymnast of the Week, while freshmen Chloe Negrete and Emily Shepard each earned EAGL Rookie of the Week recognition.
The squad also posted a top 10 floor score in program history with a 49.400 and recorded scores of 49.000 or higher on floor in each of its final seven meets.
In her second season leading the program, Landrus guided the Pack to its second-consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, marking the first time NC State reached the postseason in back-to-back years since 2014 and 2015. She was named the 2019 Co-EAGL Coach of the Year.
The team earned 20 All-EAGL honors, the most of any program in the conference that season and the most for the Pack since 2008. Two gymnasts earned All-EAGL honors in the all-around, while four received recognitions on beam. NC State held the top spot in the EAGL rankings in eight of the 11 weeks during the regular season and surpassed the 196.000 mark twice, posting scores of 196.400 and 196.100.
The Pack tallied 107 podium finishes during the year, the most for the program in at least five seasons. NC State was ranked in the top 36 nationally every week of the year. The team placed third at the EAGL Championship, marking the third-consecutive year with a top three finish at the conference meet.
Throughout the season, gymnasts under Landrus’ guidance set or tied career best scores 27 times and posted 10 scores of 9.900 or higher. Drew Grantham recorded a top 10 all-around score in program history with a 39.475.
Landrus had a stellar first year with the Wolfpack as she was named Southeast Region Coach of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women. She helped guide NC State to an EAGL Championship for the first time since 2013 after the team posted a 196.625 inside SECU Arena at Towson on March 24.
NC State finished the regular season ranked no. 20 nationally, placing inside the top 20 in three events: no. 13 on vault, no. 19 on beam, and no. 20 on floor. The Pack was also ranked no. 34 on bars.
In her first year at the helm, the team posted two top ten scores in program history. A 196.800 against Ohio State and Central Michigan on March 11 tied the fourth highest score ever, and the 196.625 at the EAGL Championship was the eighth highest mark in program history.
Seven gymnasts combined for 17 All-EAGL honors, the most for the program since 2012.
Landrus also coached two Wolfpack gymnasts to conference titles in 2018. Chelsea Knight scored a 39.425 to win the EAGL All-Around title, while Drew Grantham earned the EAGL Vault title with a 9.900.
The team also excelled academically under Landrus' leadership, with 13 gymnasts named to the All-EAGL Scholastic Team.
Landrus was selected to lead the program in May of 2017, after 15 years at Illinois, including seven as head coach.
"Kim immediately stood out during our process as a head coach with a proven track record at a very high level, and the vision to elevate NC State gymnastics, " said then NC State AD Debbie Yow. "She takes great pride in her relationships with her student-athletes and helps them excel in the gym and in the classroom. I am thankful to (Assistant Athletics Director) Georgia Brown and her committee for their good work on this search. We are excited to welcome Kim, her husband Steve, and children Zachary and Madelyn to Raleigh as part of Wolfpack Nation."
As head coach for seven seasons at Illinois, Landrus led the Illini to 11th place national finishes in 2011, 2013, and 2014 - the three highest finishes in school history. She helped Illinois reach 14 consecutive NCAA appearances overall, including top 25 finishes in each of the last 12 seasons.
"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to lead Wolfpack Gymnastics," said Landrus. "The athletic vision of excellence at NC State aligns well with my goals for NC State gymnastics becoming a top-tier program. I'd like to thank Debbie Yow, Michael Lipitz and Georgia Brown for being so welcoming and ensuring I learned as much about NC State during the process."
"Developing relationships with current and past Wolfpack, in addition to establishing a connection with those who will become part of the family in the future, will begin immediately. Additionally, I look forward to working with the entire athletic department and being a part of Wolfpack Nation."
In 2015, Landrus was honored as NCAA Central Regional Head Coach of the Year after Illinois finished as Big Ten runners-up and placed 13th at the NCAA Championships. Her squad finished third or better at the Big Ten Championships in five of the previous ten years. She helped produce 18 All-Americans and 44 All-Big Ten selections during her Illinois career.
Illini gymnasts also excelled in the classroom during her tenure, earning 102 Academic All-Big Ten honors. The team GPA was 3.25 or higher in ten of the twelve semesters, and the program maintained a multiyear Academic Progress Rate above 990 since 2004-05.
She arrived in Champaign in 2002 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach in 2006 before being named head coach for the 2011 season.
Prior to Illinois, Landrus spent two years as an assistant coach at Iowa State University. During her time at ISU, her beam team finished in the top 10 nationally in 2002, reaching a season-high ranking of No. 4.
As a student-athlete, Landrus was one of the most decorated gymnasts in Cyclone history. She became ISU’s first-ever national qualifier in 1997, earned All-Big XII Conference honors twice, was named the school’s Most Valuable Gymnast in both 1996 and 1997, and recorded the first perfect 10 in school history with a flawless floor exercise performance at the 1997 Big XII Championships. The four-year letter-winner was also named ISU’s Woman Athlete of the Year in 1997 and was inducted into the Iowa State Hall of Fame in 2013, becoming the first female gymnast from ISU to receive that honor.
Landrus also excelled academically. She was a four-time Academic All-Conference selection, a two-time GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1997. Following graduation, she received the Big XII Postgraduate Scholarship and the NCAA Women’s Enhancement Program Postgraduate Scholarship.
From 1998 to 2000, Landrus served as a graduate assistant in the Iowa State compliance unit while earning her MBA degree. She also served as the Iowa State gymnastics meet director and coached at Cardinal Gymnastics Academy in Ames, Iowa.
Formerly known as Kim Mazza, she is a triplet who competed at Iowa State alongside her sisters, Karen and Katie. She and her husband Steve are the parents of a son, Zachary, and a daughter, Madelyn.
The Kim Landrus File
Head Coaching Experience:
NC State, 8 seasons
Illinois, 7 seasons
| Year | Final Ranking |
NCAAs | Record | Competitive All-Americans |
Academic All-Americans |
| 2025 | 20th | Regionals | 11-10 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 28th | Regionals | 16-6 | -- | 11 |
| 2023 | 32nd | Regionals (2nd rd.) | 13-11 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | 31st | Regionals (2nd rd.) | 16-10 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | 15th | Regionals (Final) | 20-9 | -- | -- |
| 2020 | 23rd | NCAAs canceled | 12-6 | -- | 11 |
| 2019 | 28th | Regionals (2nd rd.) | 19-8 | -- | 9 |
| 2018 | t-20th | Regionals | 18-8 | -- | 9 |
| 2017 | 21st | Regionals | 17-5-1 | -- | -- |
| 2016 | 25th | Regionals | 9-7 | 1 | 9 |
| 2015 | 13th | Regionals | 14-3 | 6 | 11 |
| 2014 | 11th* | Nationals | 13-7 | -- | 10 |
| 2013 | 11th* | Nationals | 12-7 | 3 | 4 |
| 2012 | 18th | Regionals | 12-9-2 | -- | 4 |
| 2011 | 11th* | Nationals | 13-41 | 6 | 5 |
| 146-79-4 | 16 | 52 |
Associate Head Coach:
Illinois – 2006-10
Assistant Coach:
Illinois – 2003-06
Iowa State – 2000-02
Coaching Honors:
EAGL Head Coach of the Year - 2020
EAGL co-Head Coach of the Year - 2019
Southeast Region Coach of the Year – 2018
South Central Region Head Coach of the Year – 2015
National Assistant Coach of the Year – 2009
South Central Regional Assistant of the Year – 2005
Recognition as a Student-Athlete:
Iowa State Hall of Fame (2013 inductee)
Iowa State Women Athlete of the Year (1997)
GTE/Co-SIDA Academic All-American (2 times)
Academic All-Big XII Selection (4 times)
Education:
Iowa State University
Bachelor of Science in Finance, 1997
Master's in Business Administration, 2000
