Hampton University Men's Track

Lewis was a two-time NCAA champion at Hampton, taking the indoor triple jump title in 2006 and outdoor triple jump crown in 2007. She was named an All-American by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) four times: 2006 indoor triple jump, 2006 outdoor triple jump, 2007 indoor long jump and triple jump, and 2007 outdoor triple jump and 100-meter hurdles.   She currently holds 10 school records five in the indoor season and five outdoor records.   Since graduating from Hampton in 2007, Lewis has established herself as one of the worlds top hurdlers and jumpers. In 2011, she won a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, while also taking home a silver medal as part of the 4x100-meter relay team.   Lewis, who also competed in the Pan Americans Games in 2007, finished 2011 ranked No. 8 in the world in the 100-meter hurdles. Her personal best mark in the triple jump came in 2008, when Lewis jumped 13.84 meters. She set a personal best in the 100-meter hurdles in 2011, running a 12.76.   Her personal best in the indoor 60-meter hurdles came in 2010, when she ran a 7.90.   Lewis was born in Germany, but she was raised in Newport News, Va. She attended both Denbigh and Menchville High School.

Hemby broke school records in the indoor 3,000-meter run (10:16.93, 2009) and outdoor 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:02.35, 2009). In addition, she was a two-time All-MEAC selection in cross country, and she became the first Hampton runner ever to win an individual race in cross country.   In 2006, Hemby won MEAC titles in the indoor mile run and 3,000-meter run, as well as the outdoor 800-meter-run and 1,500-meter run. She also won the indoor 3,000-meter run at the 2009 MEAC Indoor Championships, before winning MEAC outdoor crowns in the 3,000-meter steeplecase and the 5,000-meter run.   During Hembys athletic career at Hampton, the Lady Pirates won the 2006 MEAC cross country title, as well as four indoor and four outdoor conference championships.   Prior to coming to Hampton, Hemby was at Meredith College for two years.   Her coaching career began at Rogers-Herr Middle School in Durham, N.C., where Hemby served for one year. After that, she took a position as Youth Track Director for the city of Raleigh, N.C., taking over the Raleigh Rockets track & field program.   She also coached one of nine community track teams at John Chavis Community Center.   Hemby is a native of Raleigh, N.C. and is the mother of 8-year-old McKayle.

Gray also served as volunteer coach in 2004 and graduate assistant in 2005.   Much of Grays work centers around every aspect of the mens track program.   In his second season as the mens coordinator, Gray helped the Pirates capture the MEAC indoor crown their first indoor conference championship since 2003. The Pirates also finished in third in the MEAC Outdoor Championships, and seven Pirates were recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as All-Americans or Honorable Mentions.   Trey Holloway earned First Team All-America honors in the 110-meter hurdles, while JeVon Hutchison, Edose Ibadin, Paris Reddick-Simmons, and Chidi Okezie were each Second Team honorees in the outdoor 4x400-meter relay.   Grays work in his first season with the Pirates paid immediate dividends, as the mens program finished second in the MEAC Indoor Championships before winning the MEAC Outdoor Championships their first outright MEAC crown since 2003.   Holloway was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the USTFCCCA in the 110-meter hurdles in 2012-13, becoming the first Pirate to earn All-American honors since Reggie Dixon in 2010.   Seven Pirates were named First Team All-MEAC in 2012-13 between the Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Prior to his current post, Gray was instrumental in turning the Lady Pirates into perennial MEAC contenders and a program capable of placing student-athletes on the national stage resulting in five national championships and countless All-American honorees. In 2006, Gray helped guide Yvette Lewis to Hamptons first-ever NCAA Division I indoor track & field national championship in the triple jump. Lewis was a two-time All-American in the triple jump and seven-time conference champion in the long, triple, and high jump. Lewis finished third in the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships and represented the United States at the NACAC Games in the Dominican Republic. A native of Nassau in the Bahamas, Gray was a 1998 qualifier for the World Junior Championships in the long jump. He also competed in the jumps and the sprints as a member of the Pirates track and field team from 1999-2000.   Gray earned his bachelors in business management in 2003 and added an MBA in 2006.

Pierce now oversees both the mens and womens cross country and track & field teams. Before stepping into this role, Pierce spent 10 years as head coach of the Lady Pirates, building a perennial MEAC power.   Prior to that, Pierce spent four years at Hampton as an assistant.   In his 13 years at the helm of the womens program, Pierce has guided the Lady Pirates to four MEAC cross country titles (2004, 2006, 2010, 2011), 12 MEAC indoor championships (2003-09, 2011-15) and 10 MEAC outdoor titles (2003-04, 06-10, 2012-14). In 2014-15, the Lady Pirates took home yet another MEAC indoor crown. In addition, four Hampton student-athletes earned All-America honors from the USTFCCCA during the indoor season: Trey Holloways (First Team), Edose Ibadin, Ce'aira Brown, and Le'Quisha Parker (Second Team). Chidi Okezie and Holloway were Second Team All-Americans during the outdoor season, while Parker earned Honorable Mention accolades.   The Pirates also won the MEAC outdoor title in 2013, their first under Pierces direction. It was also the Pirates first outright MEAC track & field crown since 2003. In addition, Pierce guided the Pirates to the 2014 MEAC indoor championship, their first indoor title since 2003.   The Lady Pirates have won five individual NCAA championships in Pierces tenure, including three from Francena McCorory in the 400-meter dash. McCorory won both the indoor and outdoor titles during the 2009-10 season, setting the American record in the indoor 400-meter dash with a 50.54. McCororys exploits earned her Indoor Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).   In addition to the Lady Pirates sweeping the MEAC indoor and outdoor crowns in 2013-14 and the Pirates claiming the MEAC indoor crown Pierce coached 10 student-athletes to All-America status including seven on the mens side. Trey Holloway was a First Team honoree in the outdoor 110-meter hurdles, while JeVon Hutchison, Edose Ibadin, Paris Reddick-Simmons, and Chidi Okezie were each Second Team honorees in the outdoor 4x400-meter relay.   On the womens side, Teiara Denmark was a Second Team honoree in the indoor long jump and Ceaira Brown was named Second Team in the outdoor 800-meter run.   The Lady Pirates swept the MEAC titles in 2011-12, taking their second straight cross country title before winning their second straight MEAC indoor title their ninth in 10 years. Hampton then won the womens outdoor track title, their sixth in seven years. It marked the first time since 2006 that the Lady Pirates won all three MEAC championships.   Pierce was named Most Outstanding Coach of all three championships.   The Lady Pirates captured both the MEAC cross country and indoor track & field championships in 2010-11 before narrowly missing out on capturing the outdoor track & field championship as well. Senior sprinter and hurdler Racquel Vassell advanced to the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 100-meter hurdles, earning Second team All-American honors from the USTFCCCA.   After leading the cross country team to a third-place finish in the MEAC, Pierce led the Lady Pirates to MEAC titles in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2008-09, while also coaching Francena McCorory to the third NCAA title in program history. McCorory, who was already a MEAC indoor champion in the 400-meter dash, won the NCAA title in that same event, running a 51.55. McCorory would add a MEAC outdoor crown and an NCAA Regional outdoor title in that same event.   Pierce, the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Womens Head Coach of the Year for the indoor season, was the Most Outstanding Coach in both MEAC meets during the 2008-09 season.   After leading the Lady Pirates to a second-place finish in the 2007 MEAC cross country championships behind Maryland Eastern Shore, Pierce led the team to a share of the indoor track &field title with UMES. It was the sixth straight indoor crown for Hampton, which tied with the Lady Hawks with 92 points. The Lady Pirates won seven individual titles throughout the indoor season including freshman Racquel Vassells win in the 60-meter dash at the University of Maryland Terrapin Invitational.   The dominance continued into the outdoor season, as the Lady Pirates took home their third straight MEAC title. Vassell was named MEAC MVP after winning the 100- and 200-meter dash, while Francena McCorory won the 400-meter dash and Rachel Lewis became an NCAA qualifier in the triple jump.   Pierce coached Krystle Medlin to a MEAC cross country individual title in 2006, while four other Lady Pirates made the All-Cross Country Team. Hampton also won indoor and outdoor titles that season, with Yvette Lewis earning MEAC Most Outstanding Female Athlete honors.   Lewis and Kellie Wells each competed in the NCAA Championships, with Lewis giving Hampton its first-ever NCAA title in the triple jump. Wells finished seventh in the 60-meter hurdles to earn All-American honors as the Lady Pirates ended the 2006 season ranked in the Top 25 nationally.   Pierce also spent the 2005 season as interim head coach of the mens teams at Hampton, where he helped the 4x400-meter relay team advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Terry Thornton and Andrew Peresta advanced to the NCAA semifinals, while Pierce also guided Lewis and Wells to the NCAA level. Wells became Hamptons first-ever Division I Indoor All-American when she finished sixth in the 60-meter hurdles.   Prior to coming to Hampton, Pierce served as an assistant at Maryland Eastern Shore (1998-99), and as a volunteer assistant at Norfolk State (1995-98). While at UMES, Pierce coached two MEAC champions.   While at NSU, Pierce was instrumental in helping the Lady Spartans win two CIAA championships and coached over 15 CIAA champions, four NCAA Division II qualifiers and one Olympian (Rachelle Thomas, 1996-USVI 4x100, 4x400). Pierce is also considered one of the top hurdle coaches in the world. He coached David Payne, who competed in the 110-meter hurdles at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and won a silver medal with a time of 13.17.   Payne is the first athlete coached by Pierce to win an Olympic medal.   Pierce also coached former Hampton star James Carter as a professional hurdler from 2000-04. Carter placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles finals at both the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2004 Games in Athens. During the four years Pierce coached Carter, he made two Olympic teams, three World Championships teams, one World Cup Team, and one NACAC U-23 team.   Carter was ranked in the top 10 in the world all four years.   In 2004, Pierce also coached Rachelle Boone-Smith on Team USA. Boone-Smith placed second at the 2004 U.S. Indoor Championships and made the World Indoor Championships Team. In 2004, Boone-Smith placed fourth in the 200-meter finals at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.   Carter and Payne have each become World Champions under Pierce; Payne was an outdoor champion in 2007, while Carter held the honor in both 2001 and 2003. Boone-Smith was an indoor champion in 2005.   Pierce was also an assistant hurdles coach for the USA National Team at the 2011 Pan Am Junior Championships, which were held July 22-24 in Miramar, Fla. In addition, he served as Head Mens Coach at the 2014 NACAC Under-23 Championships, which were held in British Columbia Aug. 8-10, 2014. Pierce is a 1996 graduate of Norfolk State University. He was a member of the Spartans track team in 1992-93, and 1995. He currently serves as the chair for USATF Virginia Association Women Elite Athletes. He is a native of Newport News, Va. and is married to Cantrese Pace-Pierce, a 1998 graduate of Hampton University. They live in Newport News with their two daughters, Alyssa and Aniyah.   Birthdate: Jan. 26, 1972 Hometown: Newport News, Va. Education: Warwick High School B.S. Norfolk State University 1996 1995-98: Norfolk State University, Volunteer Assistant 1998-99: University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Assistant Coach 1999-02: Hampton University, Assistant Womens Coach 2002-11: Hampton University, Head Womens Coach 2004: Hampton University, Interim Mens Coach 2012-present: Hampton University, Director of Track & Field   -2003 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2003 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2004 MEAC Womens Cross Country Champions -2004 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2004 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2005 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2006 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2006 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2006 MEAC Womens Cross Country Champions -2007 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2007 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2008 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Co-Champions -2008 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2009 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2009 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2010 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2010 MEAC Womens Cross Country Champions -2011 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2011 MEAC Womens Cross Country Champions -2012 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2012 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2013 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2013 MEAC Mens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2013 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2014 MEAC Mens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2014 MEAC Womens Indoor Track & Field Champions -2014 MEAC Womens Outdoor Track & Field Champions -2015 MEAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Champions   Yvette Lewis -2006 indoor triple jump -2007 outdoor triple jump Francena McCorory -2009 indoor 400-meter dash -2010 indoor 400-meter dash* -2010 outdoor 400-meter dash     David Payne -- Beijing 2008 (110-meter hurdles silver medal) James Carter -- Athens 2004, Sydney 2000 (400-meter hurdles) Rachelle Thomas -- Atlanta 1996 (4x100-meter relay, 4x400-meter relay)   James Carter -- 2001, 2003 outdoor David Payne -- 2007 outdoor Rachelle Boone-Smith -- 2005 indoor