NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Iona University Acrobatics & Tumbling Head Coach Jacquie Eshleman announced the appointments of Mari Fukutomi and Arianna Mafes as the program's next assistant coaches.

Fukutomi joins the Maroon & Gold following a four-year career with the University of Oregon. She competed in every meet of her collegiate career as a top and tumbler and was named Rookie of the Year during her freshman season.

"I'm so excited to add a coach to our staff who can bring expertise in coaching the top position," said Iona Acrobatics & Tumbling Head Coach Jacquie Eshleman. "Mari's energy and passion are contagious, and I know she'll make a tremendous impact on our athletes. Having her come to us from my alma mater, Oregon, makes this addition even more special."

Fukutomi was an integral part of two national finals runs with the Ducks in 2023 and 2025. During the 2025 season, she helped Oregon post a season-high score of 99.43 in the team event against Baylor University. As a freshman in 2023, she was the only freshman to compete in all nine meets and helped the Ducks earn three ranked victories, including two wins over No. 2 Azusa Pacific and one over No. 3 Gannon.

Fukutomi graduated in March 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts in Family and Human Services and a minor in Sociology. She was a four-time member of the NCATA Academic Honor Roll and was named to the Pac-12 Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2024.

Mafes joins the Maroon & Gold with a competitive cheer & tumbling background and brings more than a decade of cheerleading experience. She helped co-found Westchester County's first dedicated cheer and tumbling training facility, North Beast Athletics, where she leads all tumbling programming for beginners through advanced athletes. Her specializations include tumbling progressions, spotting techniques, strength and conditioning, flexibility and athlete evaluations. 

"I'm really excited to have Ari join our staff and introduce her to Acrobatics & Tumbling," said Eshleman. "Her strong competitive cheer and tumbling background will be a great addition to our staff, along with her experience in social media. I'm excited to see how she grows in the sport alongside our athletes."

Mafes' coaching background includes serving as the head varsity cheerleading coach at Scarsdale High School, in addition to coaching all-star athletes with Prism Elite Cheerleading and youth athletes through Scarsdale Recreation Cheerleading. She currently serves as the Director of Operations and Head Tumbling Coach where she oversees program operations, including staff management, scheduling, curriculum development, parent communication, marketing and event coordination.

In 2023, Mafes earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a concentration in Health Promotion and Public Health from Mercy University.