Claire Sexton is the head coach of the King University Tornado acrobatics & tumbling program. A former standout athlete and one of the most decorated performers in program history, she was named the fifth head coach in July 2024 and has quickly elevated the Tornado’s competitive level.
Recent Seasons as Head Coach
- 2026: Led King to a 4–5 overall record, including a strong 4–3 mark in Conference Carolinas play. Multiple Tornado athletes earned All-Conference honors under her guidance
- 2025: Guided the Tornado to a 4–5 overall record in her first season at the helm.
- In her first two seasons, Sexton has established consistent competitiveness and helped several athletes earn All-Conference Carolinas recognition, continuing the program’s upward trajectory.
Playing Career at King
Sexton competed for the Tornado from 2018–22 and earned NCATA All-America honors as a senior — becoming just the fourth athlete in program history to receive the distinction. She was a two-time All-Conference Carolinas selection, earning First Team honors in 2022. That season, she helped King set a program-record compulsory pyramid score in an upset victory over No. 11 West Liberty. In total, Sexton contributed to seven program records, including four during the 2021 season.
Off the mat, she excelled academically as a member of the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars Program and the Jack E. Snider Honors Program. She also served as President of the Tornado Leadership Academy from 2019 until her graduation in 2022 and worked in King’s Student Life department.
Pre-King Coaching Experience
Before returning to King, Sexton gained valuable coaching experience at Positively Gymnastics in Lebanon, Virginia, where she worked with upper-level athletes, and at Shooting Stars Gymnastics in Hickory, North Carolina (2018–21).
Education and Personal
A native of Connelly Springs, North Carolina, Sexton earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from King University in 2022. She has balanced her coaching career with various roles in the accounting field.
Sexton brings elite technical expertise, proven leadership, and a deep connection to the King program as she continues to build a competitive and successful acrobatics & tumbling team.
