Kera (Bolen) Molinaro enters her third season with the Penn State women's gymnastics program in 2017. The 2017 season marks her first season as a full-time assistant coach with Penn State, prior to 2017, Molinaro served as an interim assistant coach (2016) and volunteer coach (2015).
Molinaro has been involved with collegiate gymnastics over the past 12 seasons, which includes two years (2010-11) as the volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, Oregon State, and three seasons (2012-14) on the coaching staff at Rutgers. She competed for the Beavers from 2006-09 and helped them to four consecutive appearances at the NCAA Championships.
A native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Molinaro served three years as an assistant coach at Rutgers prior to arriving at Penn State. She had an immediate impact on the Scarlet Knights' program, helping it earn a berth at the 2014 NCAA Regional Championships. The NCAA Regional appearance was the program’s first since 2007. During her time on the Oregon State coaching staff, she helped oversee the Beavers strength and conditioning program and assisted with instruction on all four events, with an emphasis on the balance beam.
A standout on the floor exercise during her time as a student-athlete in Corvallis, Molinaro helped the Beavers to the NCAA Championships during each of her four seasons on campus. She began her collegiate gymnastics career as a walk-on and earned a scholarship following her freshman season. She was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection and earned NACGC Scholastic All-American honors once in her career.
The former Kera Bolen is married to Frank Molinaro, a former Penn State All-American wrestler. The couple has two sons, Kason (2) and Frank (four months). She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science, with a minor in psychology, from Oregon State in 2009.
Molinaro has been involved with collegiate gymnastics over the past 12 seasons, which includes two years (2010-11) as the volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, Oregon State, and three seasons (2012-14) on the coaching staff at Rutgers. She competed for the Beavers from 2006-09 and helped them to four consecutive appearances at the NCAA Championships.
A native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Molinaro served three years as an assistant coach at Rutgers prior to arriving at Penn State. She had an immediate impact on the Scarlet Knights' program, helping it earn a berth at the 2014 NCAA Regional Championships. The NCAA Regional appearance was the program’s first since 2007. During her time on the Oregon State coaching staff, she helped oversee the Beavers strength and conditioning program and assisted with instruction on all four events, with an emphasis on the balance beam.
A standout on the floor exercise during her time as a student-athlete in Corvallis, Molinaro helped the Beavers to the NCAA Championships during each of her four seasons on campus. She began her collegiate gymnastics career as a walk-on and earned a scholarship following her freshman season. She was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection and earned NACGC Scholastic All-American honors once in her career.
The former Kera Bolen is married to Frank Molinaro, a former Penn State All-American wrestler. The couple has two sons, Kason (2) and Frank (four months). She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science, with a minor in psychology, from Oregon State in 2009.