Shorter University Men's Track

Saint is in his seventh year with Shorter University, after serving as assistant jumps coach for 18 years at Division I Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. During that time, Saint's athletes broke more than 20 school records in 12 different events. As the jumps coach here at Shorter, Saint has shown to be the most consistent coach on the staff, having at least one All-American at each national championship in each year hes been on the hill. This past season, Shorters first outside of the NAIA, Tamala Daley became Saints fourth national champion when she won the triple jump title at the indoor championships joining teammates Ashlie Stewarson (long jump), Trebor Holmes (long jump), and Montagious Brown (high jump) as jump national champions. Saint spent six years in Mexico as a coach for both the State University of Tamaulipas and the Department of Sports of the State of Tamaulipas. He coached high school and college athletes in all different events and coached numerous state champions at all levels, many of whom became national qualifiers. His athletes garnered a wealth of honors, including: That same athlete was a four time national collegiate champion in the women's long jump and a four time national collegiate champion in the women's triple jump. She was an all-Mexico collegiate in the 100 meters, a Penn Relays collegiate triple jump champion, a Penn Relays open invitational triple jump finalist and the Mexican national record holder in the women's triple jump. Tom Saint Assistant Coach Tom Saint is in his seventh year with Shorter University, after serving as assistant jumps coach for 18 years at Division I Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. During that time, Saint's athletes broke more than 20 school records in 12 different events. As the jumps coach here at Shorter, Saint has shown to be the most consistent coach on the staff, having at least one All-American at each national championship in each year hes been on the hill. This past season, Shorters first outside of the NAIA, Tamala Daley became Saints fourth national champion when she won the triple jump title at the indoor championships joining teammates Ashlie Stewarson (long jump), Trebor Holmes (long jump), and Montagious Brown (high jump) as jump national champions. Saint spent six years in Mexico as a coach for both the State University of Tamaulipas and the Department of Sports of the State of Tamaulipas. He coached high school and college athletes in all different events and coached numerous state champions at all levels, many of whom became national qualifiers. His athletes garnered a wealth of honors, including: That same athlete was a four time national collegiate champion in the women's long jump and a four time national collegiate champion in the women's triple jump. She was an all-Mexico collegiate in the 100 meters, a Penn Relays collegiate triple jump champion, a Penn Relays open invitational triple jump finalist and the Mexican national record holder in the women's triple jump.

Griffieth enters his first season as Assistant Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Shorter University's Track & Field/Cross Country program. Griffieth is a 20-year coaching veteran, and joins the Hawks after serving as the head coach for track & field/cross country at Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Ga. Under Coach Griffieth's leadership and supervision his teams accomplished the following; 4 state championships,15 regional championships, 6 Dekalb County championships, 59 individual state champions, 62 regional champions, 60 Dekalb County champions and, most importantly, 38 full athletic scholarships to various colleges and universities.    Griffieth will coach the men and womens short sprints for Shorter (100m, 200m, relays and multis).   "I am very excited to join the Hawks track & field staff," Griffieth said. "The chance to coach at Shorter while working with Coach Byrd, who I have tremendous respect for, was something that I simply could not pass up. I would like to thank Dr. Dowless, Kim Graham and Coach Byrd for giving me this opportunity to work with the men and women on the track team and continue to serve the Lord while transforming lives. "My leadership style is built on the philosophy that academics come first. Athletes must first be successful in the classroom before being successful on the athletic field. The job of education is to model young men and women into productive citizens. Working together as a team can build a sense of pride, respect, ownership and leadership among the members of the team and University. These character traits are things that these young people can take to the next level in any workplace environment while serving our Lord."                                                                          Education    

Byrd has developed the Hawk and Lady Hawk track and field programs into national powers, a journey affirmed when Shorter's men's program captured the 2011 NAIA Indoor and Outdoor national championships. As Shorter enters NCAA territory, he brings to the table a program that has proven itself a potential immediate national contender. During Byrd's tenure, Shorter has won 18 individual national championships and in 2011, saw nine athletes win individual national championships resulting the men's double and the women posting program-best finishes of fifth and third at the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor national championships, respectively. For his efforts in a historic 2011 season, Byrd was named both the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Coach of the Year. The next year, the men garnered runner up honors at the NAIA Indoor national championships, but sucessfully defended their Outdoor national crown, behind the efforts of 2 individual national champions, and 1 relay championship. For his efforst, Byrd was awarded by his peers with the NAIA Outdoor National Coach of the Year. In 2013, Shorter's track and field programs competed for the first time in the NCCAA and didn't disappoint; with the women's team taking the national title at the indoor meet and the runner-up honors at the outdoor meet. Beginning in 2014, Shorter will serve as host for the NCCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Meet. Byrd coaches the 400 meters, 4x400 relay teams, 100/110 meter hurdles and the 400 intermediate hurdles. Byrd quickly planted the seed for success upon his arrival to the Hill in 2006. Despite being a young program, Shorter track and field has accomplished great things in its first few years: - Five straight Mid-South Men's Outdoor championships (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) - Four straight Mid-South Women's Outdoor championships (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) - 90 individual national champions - Over 75 All-Conference athletes - Over 60 NAIA All-Americans - Over 80 national qualifiers - Over 10 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes - One NAIA national record (Justyna Mudy, 2009) Byrd came to Shorter in 2006 from Velocity Sports, where he was an assistant head coach for Team Velocity. He is a USAW Club Coach and USAW Sports Performance certified. In 1980, he was the national collegiate power lifting champion and coached OTC from 1994-1996. He served as an IDEA Certified Trainer from 1987-2000 and is a professional member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Byrd coached 12 school-age national champion athletes including three gold medalists, four silver medalists and one bronze medalist. He guided a three-member competition team that won third place nationally and also coached three junior national athletes, including one silver medalist. Byrd graduated from Fayette County High School in 1979 after lettering all four years in varsity football and varsity track. He earned his collegiate degree from Jacksonville State University in 1985.