East Carolina University Men's Track

Berkowitz will supervise the cross country distance runners, as well as assist in all aspects of track and field. In 2013, Berkowitz coached Brooke Kott to All-Conference USA First Team honors after she finished in seventh place overall at the league[apos]s 5K championship meet in Denton, Texas. A two-time team captain for East Carolina[apos]s track and field team, Berkowitz competed in the 400-meter hurdles and the pole vault. In fact, Berkowitz and her relay team of Lindsay Dolan, Lanaire Lindo, and Jaslyn Grullon still hold the ECU record of 1:01.59 set in 2007 at the Florida Relays in the 100-meter shuttle relays. Prior to her return to East Carolina, Berkowitz worked at the University of Miami as the travel and events coordinator in the Hurricane athletic department. She also had stints working for the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers in their respective sales departments. Berkowitz could not be happier to return to her alma mater, where she earned a Bachelor[apos]s Degree in Physical Education and a master[apos]s degree in sport management. While pursuing her graduate degree, the York, Pa., native worked as a graduate assistant in academics and as a volunteer coach with the track and field squad. Berkowitz feels she has the ability to relate to student-athletes and help them excel and reach their full potential. Her father, Marvin Berkowtiz, is a cross country/track and field coach at Redlion Area Senior High School in Pennsylvania. The elder Berkowitz is a former Penn State weightlifter, while Berkowitz[apos]s mother, Darla, ran cross country at York College (Pa.).

Lee High School: North Carolina State, 1997 Last College: North Carolina State, 1997 Position: Assistant Coach - Mid-Distance, Distance Dan Lee enters his eighth season as the head cross country coach as well as assistant coach for the East Carolina University track and field men's and women's teams. Lee is in charge of men's and women's cross country as well as the middle/long distance runners for men's and women's track. As the head cross country coach, Lee has led the Pirates to the NCAA Southeast Regional for the last three years. Most recently, East Carolina's women's squad turned in a 17th-place finish at the 2013 NCAA Southeast Regional. Senior Chelsea Hollingsworth was the Pirates' top-finisher in the 6K race as she turned in a season-best time of 22:07. Lee's cross country squads found success during the 2013 season as the women's team finished fourth at the Conference USA Championships, while the men's side placed ninth. Redshirt senior Brooke Kott earned C-USA First Team All-Conference honors for the second time in her career with a seventh-place finish in the women's 5K race, turning in a time of 17:37.67. Under Lee's direction, the women's cross country team continues to excel as the Lady Pirates finished with a program-best ninth-place showing at the NCAA Southeast Regional in 2012, which is two places higher than their finish in 2011. At the NCAA Southeast Regional, the Pirates were led by junior Bjork Olsen who finished 18th out of 255 competitors to secure an All-Region selection. Prior to their success at the NCAA Southeast Regional, East Carolina turned in a pair of positive efforts at the Conference USA Championship as the women placed third and the men finished seventh. The women's third-place ranking was the highest team finish ever by the squad. In 2011, Lee led the women's squad to the NCAA Southeast Regional where they finished a program-best 11th. Senior Brittany Copeland paced the Pirates with a top-25 finish as she set the ECU program record for a 6K with a time of 20:59.9. Earlier that season, the women claimed a fourth-place finish at the C-USA Championship, while the men took seventh. The fourth-place showing for the women was their best-ever finish at the league meet. In 2010, both cross country programs improved for the third-straight campaign. The men finished fifth at the Conference USA Championship, tied with the 2004 and 2008 squads for the program's best finish. The women were one slot behind their best-ever place as they came in sixth. Individually, Zack Montijo earned All-Conference USA Third-Team honors for the men while Brittany Copeland (second team) and Tara Wilson (third team) received accolades for the women's side. It was the first time in program history the women had two All-C-USA selections in the same season. Both the men and women took home the ECU Pirate Invitational title last season and the women also claimed the Mount Olive College Invitational crown. At the NCAA Southeast Regional, the men came in 23rd for the program's best performance since placing 17th in 2004. On the women's side at the meet, Wilson ran the fifth-best 6K in program history with a time of 21:40.3 to finish 54th overall. In 2009, Lee helped the men's squad capture the Campbell Invitational and ECU Pirate Invitational championships. The first-place finishes were the men's first team titles since the 2004 North Carolina Collegiate Championship. The pair of championships also marked the first time the program had claimed two first-place finishes in the same season since 2003. The women also took the 2009 ECU Pirate Invitational for their first title since the 2006 McAlister's Deli Invitational. Lee guided Wilson to a 15-spot improvement at the NCAA Southeast Regional as she turned in the 12th-best time in program history. Wilson, the team's top finisher at the Conference USA Championship, was also one of seven female athletes selected to the league all-academic team. Amanda Lapp made a 25-spot leap at the league meet with 35th-place showing and a time of 19:50.8. She also moved up 90 spots at the NCAA Regionals, finishing the 6K in 22:57.72 and 113th place. In 2008, both the men's and women's cross country squads improved two places at the C-USA Championship as the men finished in fifth, their best showing since the 2004 meet, and the women came in sixth, their highest placement since 2001. Lee also guided Montijo and Copeland to Second-Team All-Conference USA finishes. The duo became the first Pirate runners to earn All-Conference recognition since 2005. Additionally, Montijo was named the Conference USA Freshman-of-the-Year, a first for the ECU program. During Lee's first year as a track coach, he revamped the training program, leading to many record-setting marks. By the end of the first season under Lee, all of the athletes in the middle/ long distance crew achieved career-best performances in at least one event. Lee came to ECU after seven years of coaching in the high school ranks at Wake Forest and Apex in North Carolina. During his time at these schools, he helped rewrite the record books. At Wake Forest, 74 of the 80 slots on the all-time top-10 middle/long distance lists are filled by his runners. During his two years at Apex, Lee helped add many names to the school's all-time top-10 lists, including the men's 800-meter state champion in 2003. Beyond his high school athletes, Lee privately coached many others. The most heralded of these athletes was Sandy Roberts, a two-time qualifier for the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championship. In all, Lee has coached medalists in 15 of the 18 events, and state champions in 11 events, at the North Carolina 4A State Championships. Competing for North Carolina State University as a walk-on in 1992, Lee later earned a scholarship through his hard work and dedication. During his time as a member of the Wolfpack, he was part of the team that captured the 1996 Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Lee competed in the open 800-meter run as well as the 4x400-meter relay. His efforts earned him a place in the N.C. State record books with top-10 all-time performances in the open 800-meters (indoor and outdoor), as well as the 4x800-meter and distance medley relays (indoor and outdoor). Lee earned his BS in science education in 1997 and completed his coursework for an MA in exercise physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006. He holds USA Track & Field Level I and Level II Coaches Certifications and is a regular speaker at Cross Country and Track & Field camps/clinics. Lee is married to the former Rachel Pascha Shugarman, who is a 1998 graduate of UNC-Greensboro with a BFA in Dance. Before her marriage, she spent six years performing in plays and musicals around the world and on the famous stages of New York City.

Blaney has been instrumental in helping the Pirates excel on the field. Under his tutelage, redshirt senior Tynita Butts has garnered five separate All-America honors (four in the high jump, and one in the long jump). Most recently, sophomore Cameron Hudson earned All-America accolades for his performance in the 2013 long jump in which he posted a school-record mark of 7.86-meters (25-09.50) at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Hudson went on to finish fourth in the USA Track and Field Championships. Prior to Hudson[apos]s success, Blaney helped guide Butts to a second-place finish in the NCAA Indoor Championships with a school-record clearance of 1.90-meters (6-02.75) en route to collecting her fifth All-America selection. Blaney came to East Carolina after spending 10 seasons with the Nevada track and field team coaching the multi-event athletes, as well as the long, triple, and high jumpers. Under Blaney[apos]s guidance, Nevada[apos]s Maranda Brownson won the gold medal at the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Championships in the pentathlon event and went on to finish 14th at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships. Blaney joined the Nevada track and field program after leaving a very successful coaching career at Mineral County High School in Hawthorne, Nev. As head coach at MCHS, Blaney built his team into one of the most dominant track and field programs in the West. He coached his squad to eight state championships and numerous regional titles. On several occasions, Mineral County earned more points in the state championship meet than the second-and third-place teams combined. A multiple winner of the Nevada High School Track and Field Coach-of-the-Year Award, Blaney also was nominated for the title of National Track and Field Coach-of-the-Year while in Hawthorne. Blaney graduated from Ottawa (Kan.) University in 1965 with a degree in biology. He earned his master[apos]s in educational administration in 1974 from Wichita State (Kan.) University.

Cheek earned a scholarship for his contributions in the 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay. His achievements as a "Running Pirate" are highlighted by All-East (IC4A) honors for his participation on a 4x400m relay that qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. After his athletic eligibility was exhausted, Coach Cheek was offered an opportunity by Charles "Choo" Justice to get his feet wet in the coaching arena with the ECU women's track and field program. From 1992-1996, he helped Coach Justice shape the ECU women's sprint, hurdle and relay program. The team became very competitive in the Colonial Athletic Association and ECAC Championships with its sprints, hurdles and sprint relays. Cheek's experience as a track coach extends over 16 years in the high school and collegiate ranks. Prior to his fulltime hire at ECU in 2008, Cheek spent six years as an assistant to Dennis Gibson at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville, NC. Cheek's first experience in the high school arena came a year prior to his time at J.H. Rose while he was an assistant at D.H. Conley High School (Winterville, NC) under the leadership of Carlton Floyd. At the high school level, Cheek has had the privilege of training NCHSA State Champions as well as NCHSA All-State hurdlers and sprint relay teams. At the collegiate level he has trained NCAA Championship qualifiers, Conference USA champions, All-East (ECAC) sprinters and relay teams, as well as ECU record holders in the hurdles, sprints and relays. Udon is happily married to former ECU sprinter, Shantell Cheek. They have two adorable children, a five-year old daughter, Alyssa Janae and a one-year old son, Johnovan Michael. Udon is also a faithful member of Koinonia Christian Center Church where Bishop Rosie S. O'Neal is the Senior Pastor.

Price also coached a pair of C-USA champions in men[apos]s weight and hammer throw. During Price[apos]s tenure as assistant coach, he has helped three ECU athletes set school records in pole vault, hammer throw and weight throw, while helping numerous athletes qualify for the NCAA Regional championships. Price also tutored 2005 IC4A Indoor Weight Throw Champion Eric Frasure during his initial season with the Pirates. A native of Walhalla, S.C., Price spent four years as assistant coach at his alma mater, Western Carolina University, where he helped the Catamounts win back-to-back Southern Conference Championships in 2000 and 2001. Under Price[apos]s guidance, high jumper Virginia LaCombe earned All-America honors at WCU in 2002. WCU pole vaulter Michelle Velez also received national recognition after working out with Price as she set the Puerto Rican national record with a vault of 13-feet. Several members of the WCU track and field team participated in the NCAA, U.S., and Junior Indoor and Outdoor National Championships in the women[apos]s high jump and pole vault during Price[apos]s five-year coaching stay in Cullowhee. He was also part of a Southern Conference Championship team in 1998 at East Tennessee State, where he completed a graduate assistantship and received a master[apos]s degree in exercise and sport science. The 33-year-old Price is married to the former Eva Valerie Jalajas, who is also a WCU graduate and standout pole vaulter, who competed for the 2000 NCAA and USA Indoor Championships. Price is certified with USA Track & Field Level I and II Coaches Certifications, which includes training in throwing disciplines. He also serves as clinician for the N.C. High School Track Coaches Association in pole vault and high jump events.

Kraft has rewritten the East Carolina track and field record book as 20 womens outdoor records, 19 womens indoor records, 13 mens indoor records, and 12 mens outdoor records have fallen. Additionally, Kraft boasts 11 All-America selections, numerous All-Conference members, several NCAA Regional and National Qualifiers, three conference championships and a pair of C-USA Coach-of-the-Year honors. 2013 was a successful year for Krafts squads as the indoor season saw senior Tynita Butts finish second in the NCAA Championships after matching her career-best and ECU school-record mark of 1.90-meters (6-02.75) in the high jump for her fifth All-America selection. Montrell Morrow made his second appearance in as many years at the NCAA Indoor Championship in the mens weight throw after winning the same event at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Additionally, Butts, along with Joseph Samuels and Kayla Padgett, brought home gold at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Following the indoor season, Butts and Morrow were named C-USA Female and Male Athlete of the Year, respectively, by the league office. Krafts squad continued its dominance throughout the outdoor season as the Pirates set five school records at the C-USA Outdoor Championships to go along with a number of personal bests. ECU went on to send three student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Padgett, Cameron Hudson and Lauren Lubarski. Hudson represented the Pirates in the mens long jump and collected First Team All-America accolades in his first-ever appearance at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships after earning a fourth-place finish with a career-best and ECU school-record tying mark of 7.86-meters (25-09.50). Under Krafts tutelage, Hudson went on to place fourth at the USA Track & Field Championships in the long jump as he registered another mark of 7.86-meters (25-09.50). The 2012 season was a banner year for the program, as the women's squad won the program's first-ever Conference USA title by defeating defending champion and nationally-ranked UCF at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Kraft was named C-USA indoor Coach-of-the-Year as a result. He also produced eight All-America performers, including the third and fourth All-America accolades for junior Tynita Butts who finished third in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. It was the highest finish at the national championship for a female in program history. A program single-season 21 Pirate athletes qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round from which three moved on to the national outdoor finals. The women nearly pulled off a sweep of the indoor and outdoor league titles, but finished second at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. It was still the highest-ever result for the ladies at the outdoor league meet. The men finished just six points behind second-place UTEP. In terms of individual recognition, Butts earned United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association indoor and outdoor Southeast Region Field Athlete of the Year honors while senior Dennis Aliotta was named the Conference USA Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year - a first for the program. Additionally, Aliotta and sophomore Kathryn Warner earned spots on the C-USA All-Academic Team. While at Nevada, Kraft produced track and field teams which consistently were among the top 25 of the National Collegiate Division I Team Power Rankings. In addition, he headed a Wolf Pack program which set new school records in every event for track and field, and cross country since 1995. Kraft earned consecutive Western Athletic Conference Coach-of-the-Year selections in 2003 and 2004 while leading the Wolf Pack to a pair of WAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. His success in 2003, which included the school's first-ever WAC title, also earned him NCAA Division I Mountain Region Coach-of-the-Year honors which preceded another milestone in his career - guiding Nevada to a conference cross country championship the next fall. For the second consecutive season, Nevada took three individual titles at the 2003 indoor championships. Erin Kelly broke her own WAC record to defend her pentathlon title, Chanika Corley won the 60-meter hurdles and the distance relay team (Julie Hinton, Kali Baker, Lindsay Roberson, Nicole McRae) also brought home gold. Additionally, Stephanie Tietjen won the lone outdoor event in the shot put. In addition to the titles, the 2003 team also added six new individual school records to the list. Erin Seward set a standard with her 17:04.03 mark in the 5,000-meters and Shante Winters-Frazier in the 60-meters with a 7.66 showing. Also, Caira Hane added a new distance of 184-03.00 in the hammer throw to the books and Tietjen broke shot put records in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. McRae also bested her own indoor record in the 800-meters. Kraft led the Wolf Pack to top-20 dual track meet rankings by the Track and Field Coaches' Association for five consecutive years as Nevada enjoyed its peak position at No. 5 after winning the WAC title. Additionally, three Wolf Pack athletes experienced competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Ali McKnight competed in the meet twice, taking second in the heptathlon in 1995, while Jenni Ashcroft finished seventh in the pole vault (2002) and Sam Young took 15th in the javelin throw (2003). Ashcroft was named NCAA Woman-of-the-Year in 2002 for the state of Nevada due to her fine showing that season. Prior to Nevada's move into the WAC, Kraft was selected as the 2000 Big West Conference Coach-of-the-Year after piloting the Wolf Pack to the league's outdoor championship. Off the track, Kraft's squad compiled the nation's second-highest grade point average (3.20) during the same season. Kraft produced all 33 individual conference champions in Nevada program history, including three which advanced to the NCAA Division I National Championships. He served as Nevada's assistant men's and women's track and field coach from 1991 to 1994, playing a pivotal role in the recruitment of athletes which claimed the 1993 Big West Conference Men's Track Championship. Kraft began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Nebraska in 1989 where he worked with all facets of the Cornhuskers' Big Eight Conference program, including distance, sprint-hurdles and all vertical and horizontal jump athletes. In 1990, Kraft served as the assistant meet director for the Junior Olympics in Lincoln, Neb., and worked alongside 1984 Olympic Throws Coach Ken Shannon at the Northwest Sports Track and Field Camp. Kraft's career started as an athlete, running hurdles in both high school and college. He graduated from Minot State (N.D.) University with a dual major in physical education and social science in 1984. He then received a master's degree in education at the University of Nebraska, where he also spent two years as a graduate assistant, coaching the Cornhuskers women's track and field program. He and wife Nancy are the parents of two adult daughters Alicia and Kayla. Minot State (N.D.), `84 Bachelor of Science - Physical Education/Social Science (Dual Major) Nebraska, '91 Masters of Education 1984-89: Carrington High School - Head Coach 1989-91: Nebraska - Graduate Assistant Coach 1991-94: Nevada - Assistant Coach 1994-2005: Nevada - Head Coach 2005-06: East Carolina - Women's Head Coach 2006-present: East Carolina - Head Coach/Program Director 14 All-America performers 61 NCAA Qualifiers Six Conference Championships 80 Individual Conference Champions 346 All-Conference Selections 89 School-Record Holders 2014 USTFCCCA Southeast Region Coach-of-the-Year 2012 and 2014 Conference USA Coach-of-the-Year  2003 Indoor Coach-of-the-Year (WAC and Mountain Region)  2000 Big West Coach-of-the-Year  East Carolina's first-ever C-USA title  Nevada's first-ever WAC title Led Nevada to Top-20 dual track meet rankings by the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) for five-consecutive seasons Oversaw Nevada's second-highest GPA in the nation in 2000  Nevada athletes set new school records in every event   Chelsea Salisbury - Hammer - 2007 (23rd)  Tynita Butts - Indoor High Jump - 2010 (10th) Tynita Butts - Outdoor High Jump - 2010 (7th - All-America)  Tynita Butts - Outdoor Long Jump - 2010 (16th)  Tynita Butts - Indoor Long Jump - 2011 (4th - All-America) Aiesha Goggins - Outdoor 400m - 2011 (10th - All-America)  Aiesha Goggins - 4x400 Relay (Outdoor) - 2011  Tania Minkins - 4x400 Relay (Outdoor) - 2011  Tiffany Harris - 4x400 Relay (Outdoor) - 2011  Tyshonda Hawkins - 4x400 Relay (Outdoor) - 2011  Tynita Butts - Indoor High Jump - 2012 (7th - All-America)  Montrell Morrow - Weight Throw - 2012 (15th - All-America) Tyshonda Hawkins - 4x400 Relay (Indoor) - 2012 (12th - All-America)  Tiffany Harris - 4x400 Relay (Indoor) - 2012 (12th - All-America)  Tania Minkins - 4x400 Relay (Indoor) - 2012 (12th - All-America)  Aiesha Goggins - 4x400 Relay (Indoor) - 2012 (12th - All-America)  Tynita Butts - Outdoor High Jump - 2012 (3rd - All-America)  Dennis Aliotta - Outdoor Shot Put - 2012 (10th - All-America)  Quinton Harley - 400-Meter Hurdles - 2012 (20th - All-America)  Tynita Butts Indoor High Jump 2013 (2nd All-America)  Montrell Morrow Indoor Weight Throw 2013  Kayla Padgett Outdoor Hammer Throw 2013 (24th)  Lauren Lubarski Outdoor Javelin 2013 (17th)  Cameron Hudson Outdoor Long Jump 2013 (4th All-American) Kayla Padgett - Indoor Weight Throw - 2014 Cameron Hudson - Outdoor Long Jump and 4x100 Relay - 2014 Tania Minkins - Outdoor 200m and 4x100 Relay - 2014 Tyshonda Hawkins - Outdoor 200m and 4x100 Relay - 2014 Michael Neal - Outdoor 4x100 Relay - 2014 Hunter Furr - Outdoor 4x100 Relay - 2014 Austin Lewis - Outdoor 4x100 Relay - 2014 Avion Jones - Outdoor High Jump - 2014 Tynita Butts - Outdoor High Jump - 2014 (2nd - All-America) Avion Jones - Indoor High Jump - 2015 (7th - All-America) Avion Jones - Outdoor High Jump - 2015 (3rd - All-America) Avion Jones - Indoor High Jump - 2016 Raqurra Ishmar - Indoor Weight Throw - 2016 Avion Jones - Outdoor High Jump - 2016 (4th - All-America) Raqurra Ishmar - Outdoor Discus - 2016 Nancy (elementary school teacher) Alicia Kraft (social worker), Kayla Kraft (dental hygienist)  The Curt Kraft File