Coppin State University Women's Track

Shields-Gadson is the Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator as she enters her 10th season as the womens cross country and track and field coach at Coppin State.    Shields-Gadson has enhanced her reputation as one of the nations top track and field coaches as evidenced by having student-athletes compete internationally at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing and Pan-Am Games. She also coached Christina Epps to the 2015 USTFA national triple jump championship.   In addition, Coppin State has had student-athletes compete at the NCAA Championships in consecutive years under Shields-Gadsons direction: Deandra Daniel (2015) and Christina Epps (2014). Both student-athletes earned All-America honors and are Coppin State indoor and outdoor record holders in their respective field events. Epps was named the MEAC Woman of the Year in 2014.   Under Shields-Gadsons direction, the Eagles have become one of the best programs in the MEAC most notable in the field events.   In addition to her duties at Coppin State, Shields-Gadson also served as the past chair of the NCAA Division I Mens and Womens Track and Field Committee, NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committees. Administratively at Coppin State, she is the chief of staff for athletics and has direct oversight of budget, facilities/events and athletic communication departments. Shields-Gadson has overseen Coppin State successfully hosting the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference volleyball tournament for eight consecutive years from 2007-2014. Shields-Gadson joined the Coppin State staff after serving 10 years at Alcorn State where she served as the associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator as well as head coach of the Braves mens and womens cross country and track and field teams. In 1998, Shields-Gadson was one of six participants selected for the NCAA Fellows Leadership Development Program. The New Orleans native received her bachelors degree in English/communications from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., in 1992 and her masters degrees in athletic administration and secondary education/physical education from Alcorn State in 1995. She currently is a doctoral candidate. At Southern, she was a three-time SWAC MVP on the track and won conference championships in the triple jump (3 times) and the long jump (2 times) following a stellar career at Eleanor McMain High School, where she earned All-America honors. She also lettered in volleyball, basketball, softball, swimming and tennis at McMain. 

Baird begins her seventh season as an assistant coach with her alma mater, Coppin State. She joined the Lady Eagles coaching staff after completing a spectacular stint as a collegiate athlete in the combined events, hurdles and jumps. In 2015-16, Baird coached the MEAC Indoor long jump champion Kiersten Bond.   Baird competed for four marvelous years under the direction of current CSU head coach Alecia Shields-Gadson in the indoor pentathlon, outdoor heptathlon, javelin, sprint hurdles, long jump, high jump and triple jump events. During her time at Coppin State she was able to secure numerous conference accolades including that of MEAC indoor Champion in the high jump and pentathlon and outdoor champion in the heptathlon along with several All-Conference honors.   Baird named was the Most Outstanding Performer MEAC Outdoor Championships and Coppin State Female Athlete of the Year in 2009.   She is a former record holder for the indoor 60m hurdles, indoor pentathlon, indoor and outdoor high jump, and outdoor triple jump. She is the current record holder in the outdoor heptathlon.   Hailing from the island of Tobago in the country of Trinidad and Tobago, she has represented her country in the combined events at the NACAC Under-23 Games, Pan American Games, NACAC Open Championships and Carifta Games. She was a gold medalist in the pentathlon Carifta Games in 2005 and a bronze medalist in the heptathlon NACAC Open Championships in 2007.   Baird has transfered her knowledge and experience to the high jumpers on the Lady Eagles team with much success as the coach for that group. CSU senior high jumper Deandra Daniel is proof of this success as coach Baird has led her to being a six-time MEAC champion, NCAA All-American and NCAA Indoor bronze medalist in 2015 and ECAC Indoor Champion while on the collegiate circuit. Daniel has been to the NCAA Regionals and is the current school record holder both indoor and outdoor as well as the MEAC Indoor Championship record holder.   Daniel has followed in the footsteps of her coach and improved on her international experience as an athlete. Representing her country of Trinidad and Tobago Daniel has competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, 2014 NACAC-Under 23 Games & 2015 Pan American Games both in Canada and the 2015 NACAC Open Championships in Costa Rica where she secured the bronze medal in the high jump.   Baird has been instrumental in the recruiting of athletes to the women's track team that can build on the vision of head coach Shields-Gadson. She has been successful in recruiting for the 2016 class freshman Khemani Roberts, who also hails from Tobago, and is the silver medalist in the high jump at the 2015 Carifta Games in St. Kitts. Roberts has bests of 1.75m in the high jump and 5.38m in the long jump. Roberts and Daniel will be looking to build on the high jump brand that is characteristic of the Coppin State Lady Eagles under the guidance of Baird.   Baird is a certified USATF Level 1 and Level 2 Jumps coach with additional certification in Sports Performance Level 1 by USAW. She holds a B.S. in Sports Management and is working toward completing her MEd.