Our People
Elizabeth Lilla – Founder
Elizabeth has been involved in gymnastics for nearly her entire life. After retiring from competition while in high school, Liz caught the coaching bug and never looked back! She coached at a local gymnastics club all through college. Upon earning her doctorate in occupational therapy from Creighton University, Liz decided to chase her dream of opening a gymnastics club, where she could share her love of the sport with as many children as possible. In January of 2007, she founded Metro Stars Gymnastics with a total of 5 students. Things picked up from there, and by the year’s end, Liz had a growing program. She was named the Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association’s “Practitioner of the Year” for developing the Special Stars Program here at Metro Stars Gymnastics. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her four children, Katie, Juliette, Samantha, and Charlie, as well as reading, and running.
Erik Lilla – Founder
Erik began his gymnastics career shortly after completing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Nebraska. Invited by Elizabeth to do running drills with some compulsory gymnasts, he quickly fell in love with the sport of gymnastics. Shortly after that, Erik served as the Nebraska State TOPs Manager and had the opportunity to take his athletes to the national TOPs test at the Olympic Training Center in Houston, TX. Armed with a passion for sharing the sport of gymnastics with as many children as possible, Erik founded Metro Stars Gymnastics in late January 2006 with five students. In 2015 Erik was selected by the Midlands Business Journal as one of their 40 Under 40 entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals for his role in the growth and development of Metro Stars Gymnastics. Erik holds the prestigious Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.) credential offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (N.S.C.A.). In his free time, Erik enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, Katie, Juliette, Samantha, and Charlie.
Ashlynn Hovaldt – General Manager
Ashlynn has worked at Metro Stars since she was 16 years old, way back in 2013! She has been the Staff Development Director since 2017, coaching in the Xcel Team program and leading our continual staff training effort. She has recently been named the General Manager of our Papillion location. As if all that isn’t enough, Ashlynn also juggles her two children – she’s got a lot going on!
Shelby Lanning – Guest Services Director
With over 15 years of customer service magic under her belt—including adventures with Disney on Ice and helping plan dream vacations as a travel agent – Shelby brings sparkle and heart to Metro Stars! She is a proud Disney lover, Swiftie, cat enthusiast, and Halloween superfan. In her free time, you’ll find her baking cookies or testing out new recipes—and if you’re nice, there’s a good chance she’ll share! Shelby’s favorite thing is connecting with the amazing kids, families, and staff. No two days are the same, and that’s just how she likes it!
Dakotah Owens – Developmental Director
Dakotah brings a ton of experience to her role! She also has a great understanding of the operations of the gym from her 7 years as a competitive gymnast. She has been part of the Metro Stars team since 2021, and makes a bigger impact every day. When asked about something kids would find entertaining, she shared she wore an eyepatch like a pirate when she was younger!
Hiedi joined Metro Stars in 2022. Before she moved to Nebraska, she coached throughout the Midwest for over 15 years including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri. She has been married for 29 years and has 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren. Her joy is seeing happy faces when a gymnast does something they never thought they could do!
Nick Cramer – Men’s Team Director
Nick tumbled into gymnastics at a young age, training at Nebraska School of Gymnastics in Lincoln, NE, and never looked back! He worked his way to Springfield College in Massachusetts, where he competed at the collegiate level—especially loving the challenge of pommel horse and rings (aka the “hold-on-for-dear-life” events). With a solid background and a great personality, Nick brings both skill and fun to the gym!
Cindy Mattox – Training Director
Cindy has been involved with gymnastics since she was 4! She spent 13 years as a competitive gymnast and dancer at Artistic Gymnastics Academy in Council Bluffs and has coached at Metro Stars since 2012. Two interesting facts about Cindy are, she still holds the Buena Vista University 1 meter diving record, and when a gymnast gets a new skill for the first time Cindy can be heard from space!
Amy Williams – Marketing Director
Amy has a degree in Visual Communications, 20 years of experience in product and graphic design, as well as 6 years of experience in marketing. She shares her creative influence through the cool graphics and images that show up on Metro Stars signs, printed materials, and apparel. Amy has taken the Metro Stars image from ‘middle school art project’ to a cohesive and recognizable aesthetic that helps to illustrate that we at Metro Stars take fun pretty seriously – and boy are we proud of how she makes us look! Outside of Metro Stars, Amy and her husband Jeff are navigating life with two college kids—so if you see her, feel free to offer some support (or just swap dorm horror stories)!