About Walls performance

After 15 years of collegiate experience the CEO and founder of Walls Performance, Candice Walls decided it was time to build a space where quality of life on and off the field were deemed the most important. She decided that the company would be centered around changing the mindset of each lifetime athlete whether that athlete be in middle school, professional athlete or on the road to retirement. Walls Performance provides high quality coaching, programming, nutrition education and recovery. Each training session is a step to a better-quality life on and off the field of play!

walls performance team

  • Candice Walls is the Director of Sports Performance for Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado. She currently oversees and directs all Sports Performance for Mullen High School. She joined the Mustang Sports Performance Department in the Fall of 2020 after spending the previous 3 years at the University of Louisiana where she served as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Athletic Performance.

    At the University of Louisiana, Walls worked with the Women's Soccer and Women's Softball programs. During her time at Louisiana, she had also worked with Women’s Basketball and Women’s Tennis. She joined Louisiana Athletics' staff as Director of Strength Conditioning in July 2017 after spending the previous seven years at Baylor University where she served as the Director of Olympic Sports.

    Walls joined the Baylor staff in 2011 as the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports. In 2013 she was promoted to Director of Olympic Sports. She oversaw the Bears' Women's Soccer, Softball, Women’s Golf and Men's & Women's Cross-Country programs. She also assisted with Football, Track & Field, Cheer, Equestrian and Acrobatics & Tumbling teams.

    Prior to her work at Baylor University, she served a Graduate Assistant at The Citadel in South Carolina where she trained Women's Soccer, Volleyball, and Women's Golf. She also assisted with Track & Field, Men's Basketball, and Football.

    Prior to her work at The Citadel, she served as an intern at the University of Texas in 2009-2010 where she worked primarily with Football and Volleyball. Walls also interned during the summer of 2008 at Wake Forest University working with the Strength and Conditioning Department for Football and Women's Basketball.

    Walls, a Kentucky native, is a 2009 graduate of Berea College where she was a four-year letter winner and captain on the Basketball team. She earned her bachelor's degree in Health and Exercise Promotion with a minor in Health from Berea College. Walls completed her master's degree in Health and Exercise Sports Science from The Citadel in 2011.

    Walls holds her SCCC through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association and is certified as a Level 1 Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting.

  • Jordan Speer is a Assistant Director of Sports Performance for Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado. She joined the Sports Performance Department serving as a Sports Performance Fellow in 2022 after medically retiring from her 5-year collegiate athletic career as a thrower.

    Speer joined the Mustangs after spending the 2021-22 season competing in shot put and hammer for the University of Southern Mississippi. During the 2022 spring semester, Speer completed her practicum as an intern where she worked with the Football team. Prior to being a student-athlete at the University of Southern Mississippi, she served as a volunteer Athletic Performance intern at the University of Missouri.

    Throughout her senior year, Speer joined Mizzou’s Athletic Performance staff in 2020 where she assisted various sport training sessions. She primarily assisted with Baseball, Women’s Gymnastics, Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Swim & Dive, Track & Field, and Cross Country.

    Speer, a Kansas Native, is a 2021 graduate of the University of Missouri where she was a three-year letter winner as a shot put and hammer thrower. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology with a minor in Psychology. For her final year of throwing, she transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi to pursue a master’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Coach Education.

    Speer holds her SCCC through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association and is certified as a Level 1 Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting. She also hold her CSCS through the NSCA Assocation.

  • Connor Stanton is an Assistant Director of Sports Performance for Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado. He is joining the Mustang Sports Performance Department in the Fall of 2024 after spending the previous 3 years as an Embedded Strength and Conditioning Specialist working with Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) personnel.

    In his role with AFSOC he supported military personnel across multiple career fields. He joined the Human Performance team in 2022 after spending the previous 4 years at the University of Louisiana where he served as the Director of Olympic Sports.

    Stanton joined the Louisiana staff in 2017 as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports. In 2018 he was promoted to Director of Athletic Performance for Olympic Sports. While with the Rajin’ Cajuns he worked with Women’s Softball, Women’s Soccer, Men’ Golf, Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country, and Cheer programs.

    Prior to his work at University of Louisiana, he rejoined Baylor Athletic Performance as an Athletic Performance Assistant where he trained Women’s Equestrian and assisted with the Men’s Women’s Track and Field and Baseball programs.

    Prior to returning to Baylor, he served as a Strength and Conditioning Assistant (Graduate Assistant) with Valdosta State University Athletics from 2015-2017. With the Blazers Stanton oversaw the Women’s Softball, Women’s Soccer and Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country Teams. While with the Blazers he also assisted with the Football and baseball programs.

    Prior to his work at Valdosta State University Stanton served as an Athletic Performance Assistant with Baylor Athletic Performance. He joined the staff as intern in the summer of 2014.

    In the winter of 2015, he was promoted to Athletic Performance Assistant. While with the Bears he worked primarily with Football, Women’s Softball, Women’s Soccer, Acrobatics and Tumbling, and Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country programs. Stanton also interned at Luther College throughout his final year of his bachelor’s degree from 2013-2014.

    Stanton, an Illinois native, is a 2014 graduate of Luther College where he earned his bachelor’s degree as a Physical Education double major in Exercise Science and Health and Wellness. Stanton completed his master’s degree in public administration at Valdosta State University in 2017.

    Stanton holds his SCCC through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association and CSCS with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is also a TPI Level 3 Fitness Professional with the Titleist Performance Institute. Additionally, he is a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist with Functional Range Systems and an ELDOA Level 1 and 2 Student Practitioner.

    He currently resides in Denver, Colorado.

  • Nikki Jupe is the Dietitian for Sports Performance Department at Mullen High School. She joined Mullen High School in the Fall of 2025.

    In 2024, Nikki joined the Denver Nuggets as Team Performance Dietitian, leading all aspects of Performance Nutrition and team meal services. From coordinating home and away catering to optimizing athlete recovery and readiness, Nikki plays a key role on the High-Performance Team supporting players’ health, performance, and well-being.

    Prior to joining the NBA, Nikki served as Assistant Athletic Director of Performance Nutrition at Penn State University, overseeing nutrition for 31 varsity teams, including direct support for Men's and Women's Basketball, Tennis, and Cross Country/Track & Field.

    From 2018 to 2021, Nikki was Senior Sports Dietitian at the University of Oregon, where they expanded the department to four full-time staff and provided direct nutrition support to Basketball, Tennis, and Track & Field programs. Their tenure began in 2016 as a Sports Dietitian covering arena sports including Volleyball and Basketball.

    Earlier roles include Sports Nutrition Coordinator at Baylor University and Registered Dietitian at Texas A&M University, where Nikki supported football and Olympic sports. Their clinical experience includes work at College Station Medical Center, specializing in ICU, diabetes, and heart health education.

    A native of West, Texas, Nikki holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics from Stephen F. Austin, two Master of Science degrees in Kinesiology-Human Performance and Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics, and a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Kansas Medical Center.

    She currently resides in Denver with her dog Romeo.

  • Gretchen Cross is the Pilates specialist for Walls Performance and the Sports Performance Department at Mullen High School. She joined Mullen High School in the Fall of 2020 after spending the past 14 years as a Pilates instructor and Personal Trainer in the private sector. In addition to being the Pilates specialist, Gretchen is also a science teacher at Mullen High School and an assistant coach for Cross Country and Girls Soccer.

    Prior to her work at Mullen, Gretchen taught both equipment and mat-based Pilates classes and maintained a large and long-lasting individual client base. She has taught Pilates at the Pilates Collective Denver, Schlessman Family YMCA, and Denver Parks and Recreation. Gretchen was influential in growing the Pilates program at the Schlessman YMCA and founded the Pilates Reformer studio at that location.

    In conjunction with her Pilates instructing, Gretchen also taught group exercise classes in Body Pump, Cycling, and was a Personal Trainer for both the YMCA and Denver Parks and Recreation.

    Gretchen has also taught Pilates in Houston, Texas, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, building Pilates programs at the YMCA that employed her in those cities.

    Prior to her work as a Pilates instructor, Gretchen taught high school at the American School Foundation in Monterrey, Mexico and at Henry M. Jackson High School in Everett, Washington. At Jackson High School, Gretchen was the Head Coach for the Girls Cross Country team and an assistant coach for Gymnastics and Track and Field,

    Gretchen is a Washington state native and a 1995 graduate of Washington State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and a teaching certificate for grades 4-12. In addition, she holds a Professional Teaching Certificate from Seattle University.

    Coach Cross holds a National Pilates Comprehensive Certification and is certified through Balanced Body Pilates and the Pilates Sports Center. As a Personal Trainer, Gretchen was certified through AFAA and NASM.

    Gretchen is an avid runner and strength training enthusiast in her spare time. She is bilingual in Spanish and English.

    She currently resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Alejandro, two boys, Diego and Andres, and her dog, Sugar.

  • Kendrick Catron is a Sports Performance Graduate Assistant for Mullen High School in Denver, Colorado. He joined the Sports Performance Department in the summer of 2024.

    Catron, a Colorado Native, is a 2020 graduate of Regis University where he was a left-handed pitcher after transferring from Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science. Catron is set to pursue a master’s degree in Strength and Conditioning at the start of January 2025.

    Catron is a USAW Level 1 Performance Coach and plans to sit for his CSCS through the National Strength and Conditioning Association in the Spring of 2025.

    Catron currently resides in Littleton, Colorado with this baby chicken “Doodle”.