Jasmine Owens, former STUNT Athlete of the Year, has been hired as the inaugural head coach for Texas Woman’s University, a new NCAA Division 2 Varsity STUNT program.

“I am thrilled to announce Jasmine Owens as the first STUNT Coach at Texas Woman’s,” said TWU’s Athletic Director Sandee Mott. “She is exactly the leader we were looking for to build a nationally competitive team as she has vast experience as both a former student-athlete and coach. Coach Owens is well respected at all levels in the STUNT world and has the credentials to launch our program on a solid foundation. We are so excited to add STUNT and know it will enhance Pioneer Athletics.”

Jasmine has come up through the ranks of STUNT playing for Oklahoma State University and graduated in 2018.

“I was drawn to STUNT because of the exhilarating competitive atmosphere,” said Owens. “Competing in STUNT lit my passion for competition and I know I will be carrying that fire into my coaching. I love that STUNT pushes athletes and coaches to never cease improving and that there is something in STUNT for every type of athlete. I’m thankful for my time as a STUNT athlete because it shaped me into the determined, hard-working coach I plan to be at TWU.”

Owens was named Athlete of the Year by the College STUNT Association in 2018. She also earned many accolades including four-time STUNT national champion and three-time first team STUNT All-American, as well as making the 2018 All-American team. She was a versatile athlete and was able to base in partner stunts, perform in middle layers in pyramids, serve as a top in baskets, and take part in most jumps and tumbling routines for the OSU STUNT team.

Owens continued, “I’m excited to build the STUNT program at TWU and thrilled to not only coach a sport I’m passionate about but also to do it at a University that puts the empowerment of women first. I plan to not only build a highly competitive STUNT program, but also instill disciplines my athletes can use in all aspects of life, on and off the mat.”

With the hiring of Jasmine, TWU is now actively recruiting athletes to play STUNT in the 2022 Spring season. TWU is a NCAA Division 2 Varsity program under athletics and offers a full experience for athletes to compete in STUNT as a collegiate athlete. There are currently 50 collegiate STUNT programs across the country and more additions coming soon.

“It’s so gratifying to see an amazing athlete like Jasmine continue to give back to the sport of STUNT,” said USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris. “The growth of collegiate STUNT programs is a priority for USA Cheer with our recent recommendation for Emerging Sport Status with the NCAA and we’re so excited to see legends of our sport contributing to that growth.”

To learn more about STUNT and how to add a program on your campus, visit stuntthesport.org.