(September 12, 2001)

UCSB Women's Gymnastics Coach, Mari-Rae Sopper, 
Among Those Who Perished On American Airlines Flight 77

Santa Barbara, Calif. (Sept.12, 2001) Mari-Rae Sopper, recently appointed women's gymnastics coach at UC Santa Barbara, was among those who perished on American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon on Tuesday, which was bound from Dulles Airport in Washington D.C. to Los Angeles International Airport, it was confirmed today.

Gymnastics had been dropped by UCSB on Aug. 10, but was reinstated three days later for one year.  School officials chose to keep the sport for one more season after the athletes complained they had not been given enough time to transfer to other schools.

Sopper was appointed to her post on August 31, and was making the trip to California to begin her job as the Gaucho women's gymnastics coach. "We are shocked and dismayed by what has happened," said UCSB Athletic Director Gary Cunningham. "Our deepest sympathies go out to her family. Mari-Rae was a very dynamic and enthusiastic person and it is tragic that her life was cut short. We are all extremely saddened by the loss, and its significance cannot be expressed in words." UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang also expressed his sorrow.

"We are extremely saddened by the loss of a dedicated educator and coach, and our hearts go out to her relatives and loved ones," Chancellor Yang said. "We had been impressed by Mari-Rae's Sopper's enthusiasm, and were looking forward very much to the direction and energy she would bring to our women's gymnastics program. Although our student-athletes had not yet had an opportunity to meet Mari-Rae, they were extremely excited about her impending arrival. We have made counseling available on campus to these athletes as well as other students, staff, and faculty."

Sopper had been an assistant coach and choreographer for the U.S. Naval Academy's women's gymnastics team before taking the job at UCSB. She also served as a graduate assistant at the University of Denver for one year, as the floor exercise coach and choreographer for the Colorado Gymnastics Institute for three years, and as a Junior Olympic gymnastics coach in Dallas for three more years.

"What is so amazing about Mari-Rae is that she knew the program would only be in existence for one more year, but she accepted the job with so much enthusiasm," UCSB junior Cara Simkins told the Santa Barbara News-Press. "We were supposed to get together with her on Sunday in a meet-the-team barbecue.

"We had been e-mailing her, and her e-mails were so enthusiastic. Her arms were so wide open for us. She cared so much."

In high school, Sopper was honored as the outstanding senior gymnast in Illinois in 1984. She graduated from Iowa State in 1988 and received a master's in athletic administration from North Texas in 1993. Three years later, she graduated from the University of Denver College of Law.

"She was an incredible person who had done so much in her life," said Lesley Ross, a sophomore gymnast at UCSB. "She had an awesome attitude and was so in love with the sport. She was getting us all pumped up to come back."  Simkins said the teammates she has spoken with still plan to compete this year.

"I think we just have to keep going, take everything what's happened into our season, and try to come out of it even stronger," she said. "We can't go out like cowards."