Meet the Owners

Since taking ownership of Northshore Gymnastics Center in June 2021, Dani Okerlund and Zane Sandum have been dedicated to building on the legacy and traditions that have made NGC a special place for generations of athletes and families.

Dani's connection to Northshore began as one of the gym's inaugural gymnasts in 1995. She spent her entire competitive career at NGC, advancing through Level 10, earning a spot on four consecutive State Championship teams, and qualifying for Nationals three times. Her lifelong connection to the program gives her a unique perspective on the positive impact gymnastics can have on young athletes.

Zane entered the gymnastics industry in 2014 when he became the owner of D'Versified Sport Inc., a company specializing in the sale, refurbishment, and installation of gymnastics equipment for private clubs, high schools, and collegiate programs throughout the region. Through his work, Zane has helped create safe and successful training environments for countless athletes and gymnastics organizations.

Together, Dani and Zane combine a lifelong passion for gymnastics with extensive industry experience. Their goal is to provide every athlete with exceptional coaching, a safe and positive training environment, and opportunities to grow both as gymnasts and as individuals. They are proud to continue Northshore's tradition of excellence while creating lasting memories for the next generation of NGC families.

DIRECTORS • COACHES • STAFF

  • DANI SANDUM

    Owner & Team Program Director

    Dani was one of Northshore’s inaugural gymnasts in 1995 and competed for them for her entire career. Dani trained through Level 10, was on four consecutive State Championship Teams and was a three-time National Qualifier.

    With 18 years of coaching experience and after successfully rebuilding two competitive programs, she is excited to take her passion for gymnastics to the next level as the Owner of Northshore Gymnastics.

    Dani’s philosophy stems from the way she was coached at Northshore as a gymnast; where emphasis was placed on program culture, standards, and integrity. Her vision as Owner is to provide a similar experience for all Northshore athletes and encourage them to trust the “process” where character develops, and the athlete is built.

  • ZANE SANDUM

    Owner & Director of Operations

    Zane entered the gymnastics industry in 2014 when he became the owner of D’Versified Sport Inc. ; a company that sells, refurbishes, and installs gymnastics equipment for private clubs, high schools, and college programs in the Region. He looks forward to bringing his business ownership experience as well as his equipment knowledge and expertise to NGC and its athletes where he will provide leadership and keep the facility equipped with the newest and safest training tools and equipment.

  • JEN HUFFMAN

    Compulsory Director & Team Coach

    Jen started coaching competitive gymnastics in 1991 and has coached competitive teams at Northshore since it opened in 1995. Jen has coached gymnasts from Levels 4-9 at NGC to a total of 9 Team titles and 32 All-Around Championship titles at the State and Regional levels. In 2002 and 2007 Jen was named the Washington State Compulsory Coach of the Year.

    Jen has been a clinician at numerous state clinics and sat as a member of the USAG Washington State Board as the Compulsory Representative for four years.

    Her favorite thing about coaching is teaching gymnasts confidence through skill mastery and watching gymnasts' passion for the sport carry through to make them exceptional adults.

  • ALIA MCCALL

    Team Coach & Rec Director

    Alia grew up in the gym as a competitive club gymnast. At the peak of her training she was a level 9 gymnast earning a spot on region 2's national qualifying team.

    She started coaching compulsory gymnastics in 1998 and after several years, took a break to give more time to her own children. Throughout her coaching career, Alia has coached 6 State Championship teams, 13 State AA Champions and a whole slew of State Event Champions.

    Alia has been a part of the Northshore family from day 1. Her dedication and loyalty to the program as well as her love and passion for the sport and its people are why we adore her and are so pleased to have her on board.

  • EVANNI ROBERSON

    Pre-Team Head Coach

    Evanni started coaching competitive gymnastics in 2014 in conjunction with competing as a level 10 gymnast herself. In her time as a club gymnast, Evanni won multiple regional & state titles and was awarded the “Most Inspirational Athlete” award by USAG Washington in her senior year after coming back from what she thought was a career ending injury. In 2016, Evanni was crowned the national bar champion before graduating to attend the University of Washington on a gymnastics scholarship.

    At the UW, Evanni was a part of two teams that competed in back-to-back NCAA National Championships, earned four All Pac-12 Team Honors on Beam & in the All-Around. Evanni was the first gymnast in UW history to earn a 10.0 on beam (twice) and was the captain of her team in both her Junior and Senior years.

    Evanni has coached multiple developmental, compulsory, & optional groups. Her goal as a coach is to create well rounded gymnasts who will gain not only gymnastics skills, but life skills as well.

  • BRYAN F.

    Team & Rec Coach

  • CAITLIN B.

    Team Coach & Rec Coach

  • CLAIRE A.

    Rec Coach

  • AANYA J.

    Rec Coach

  • ELIZABETH D.

    Rec Coach

  • MYA C.

    Rec Coach

NGC VALUES

RELATIONSHIPS

A competitive gymnast’s career is reliant on many relationships. The athlete/coach, athlete/parent, athlete/self, and the coach/parent. All these relationships are important, it is our priority at NGC to build and maintain each of them. Our philosophy and culture thrive to support the development and stability of these relationships through frequent communication, self-reflection, shared experiences, and feedback. 

TRUST

At NGC, trust is truly our currency. We strive to earn that trust by committing to communicate and set clear, realistic requirements for gymnasts to participate and progress through our program. We strive to maintain this trust through transparency and honesty about where individuals stand within our system and standards. 

CONSISTENCY

Consistency is the foundation of progress. At NGC we firmly believe that consistent coaching, training standards, and practice attendance, are all imperative components to a successful, safe, and healthy gymnastics career. We make it our mission to provide and promote all of these as we support our athletes in reaching their potential.