University of Nevada - Las Vegas Women's Track & Field

Carmelita Jeter (JETT-er) was named the new head coach of the track & field and cross country programs at UNLV, Director of Athletics Erick Harper announced on May 24, 2023.  Jeter, a former Olympic Champion, comes to Las Vegas after serving as assistant coach at USC for the last two years. She has also coached at Alabama, Missouri State and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The second-year Rebel head coach found success in the indoor season, as Grace Cunningham finished third in the high jump at the Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championship, reaching a height of 1.74m (5' 8.5"). Kennedi Porter earned silver in the 60m (7.32) and 200m (23.26) at the conference indoor championships. The program earned themselves five medals during the outdoor season, as Porter was named the 2025 MW Women's Track Performer of the Meet after sweeping the MW sprints for the second straight season, picking up personal-best times in the 100m (11.24, 4th-best in program history) and 200m (22.95, 5th-best in program history). Natalia Ruiz rewrote the UNLV record book in the 10,000m on a final time of 34:30.72 at the MW Outdoor Championships with a third-place showing, while Grace Cunningham claimed bronze with a leap of 1.70m (5' 7"). The women's 4x100m relay, the team of Chineyre Okoro, Porter, AnnaKay Maitland and Jaydea Carter teamed to win the event for the first time since the 2011 season with a time of 47.40 seconds. The Rebels saw even more success at the NCAA West Regionals, where Krishna Jayasankar won her discus throw flight (seventh overall)  with a mark of 55.61m (182' 5"). Moreover, her mark shattered a 26-year-old school record previously held by Jessica Marable (52.27m), set in 1999. Jayasankar also became the first Indian women's thrower to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. At the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field& Field Championships, Jayasankar placed 18th and was named a USTFCCCA Honorable Mention honoree for her efforts. Overall during the 2024-25 academic year, Jeter's team broke three program records and placed 11 new top-five results on the UNLV All-Time Performance List. Academically speaking, the 2024 cross country team tied a program record with a 3.73 GPA, while the 2025 track & field squad broke a program record with a 3.63 team GPA. In total, 41 student-athletes posted 3.0 GPA or higher, 30 were named to the UNLV Dean's List and seven collected perfect 4.0 GPAs. After the first academic year with Jeter at the helm (2023-24), she helped the lead the program to several accolades both in and out of athletics. During the cross country season, the Rebels featured their first All-Mountain West competitor runner since 2008 after Natalia Ruiz placed 14th at the Mountain West Championships. The program also collected three medals during the conference indoor championships, Grace Cunningham earning the victory in the women's high jump and Kennedi Porter finding the other two on a win and a runner-up finish. Porter dropped the third-fastest time in MW history in the 200m on her way to a gold medal, also picking up the silver medal in the 60m. The team would find three more medals at the outdoor conference championships, Porter sweeping the sprints with victories in the 100m and 200m while also part of the silver-medal 4x100m relay with Chinyere Okoro, Shakeira Bowra and AnnaKay Maitland. The Rebels also reached the NCAA Championships in Jeter's first season in the aforementioned relay, that squad along with four individuals (Porter, Okoro, Cunningham and Jaydea Carter) each earning an invite to the NCAA West Regional Championships. The 4x100m relay qualified for the 2024 NCAA Championships after finishing among the top-three spots in their Regionals heat, becoming the first UNLV relay to reach the big dance since the 2021 outdoor season. The relay entered the meet ranked 24th, but picked up a top-20 spot after the conclusion of the championships & the relay would earn a USTFCCCA All-American Honorable Mention nod for the performance. Overall during the 2023-24 academic year, Jeter's team broke four program records and placed 12 new top-five results on the UNLV All-Time Performance List. At USC, working with the sprinters, she coached the first men’s 60-meter NCAA Champion in the school’s history. Additionally, the men’s 4x100m relay NCAA Champion set school records under her watch, and one of her student-athletes set the school record in the women’s 60m. In all, 12 student-athletes that she coached at USC have earned All-America honors.  During her first season with the Trojans, the men’s 4x100m relay team ran three of the top four times in school history. She also coached two athletes who placed No. 2 in the all-time USC record books in both the women’s and men’s 100m dash. As an athlete herself, Jeter earned one of each Olympic medal at the 2012 London Games, earning a silver in the 100m, a bronze in the 200m and a gold in the 4x100m for the USA in world-record fashion. She is also an eight-time medalist in the sprints and relays at the World Championships. Known as “The Jet,” she is the second-fastest American woman sprinter of all-time with a personal best of 10.64 set in 2009, also ranking fourth in the world. Prior to her time at USC, she served as the sprints coach at Alabama during the 2021-22 season. Prior to that, she spent two seasons on the Missouri State track & field coaching staff. While at MSU she was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach. From 2016 to 2017, Jeter was sprints and hurdles coach at her alma mater, Cal State Dominguez Hills. She has been a certified Level 1 professional track coach since 2017, helping emerging athletes reach their potential with her own company, TeamJet, LLC. Jeter began her coaching career in 2004 as the track & field coach at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California, where she also served as assistant athletic director. She graduated from the school in 1998. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2006 where she earned six All-America honors, set five school records and became the university’s first U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier. She later earned her master’s degree in sports management from Missouri State in 2020. Jeter was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 2019 by CSUDH and the California State University Board of Trustees in recognition of her incredible athletic achievements, her continued contributions to the sport of track & field, her dedication to her community and her success as a speaker and businesswoman. Coach Jeter has a daughter, Harper, who was born in September 2024.

Jordan Roach was hired as the throws coach for the UNLV track & field program at the start of the 2023-24 season.   Roach joined the Rebels after serving several years as an assistant coach for the University of Virginia and Eastern Mennonite University's (EMU) track & field team, reaching back to 2018.   "I am very excited to have Coach Roach join us here at UNLV," head coach Carmelita Jeter said. "He helped assist with Ashley Anumba, Ethan Dabbs and Claudio Romero to become top-tier NCAA national qualifiers. I'm more than confident that his expertise and knowledge will help this throws program lift to new heights. This will be his start of having his own group and I am excited to be the head coach that helps him lead this charge of Rebels. His passion and love for the event is infectious and our ladies are all in." Roach guided the program to record-setting heights in his second season in 2025, where junior Krishna Jayasankar won her discus throw flight (seventh overall) at the NCAA West Regionals with a mark of 55.61m (182' 5"). Moreover, her mark shattered a 26-year-old school record previously held by Jessica Marable (52.27m), set in 1999. Jayasankar also became the first Indian women's thrower to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Additionally, Roach saw Jayasankar would put to fourth on the all-time outdoor program shot put list with a mark of 16.03m (52' 7.25"), placing third at the Mountain West Indoor Championships and fifth in program history in the outdoor shot put with a mark of 15.87m (52' 1"). Roxene Simpson also found success during the outdoor season in the discus throw with a mark of 51.66m (169' 6") at thw MW Outdoor Championships, good enough for third on the all-time program list. Roach helped grow the Rebels' throws team with several improved marks throughout the season, the outdoor portion of the year boding to be the Rebels' strongest. During the spring, UNLV featured two student-athletes on Roach's squad in UNLV's top-five all-time rankings in the discus throw, Roxene Simpson and Krishna Jayasankar placing second and third overall. Both would find their top marks at the Mt. SAC Relays meet, the former surpassing 50m at a 50.65 (166' 2") distance with the latter reaching 49.68m (163' 0") in the meet.   Roach was first hired at Virginia as a volunteer assistant coach for the track & field teams in 2018, earning the title as an interim assistant throws coach in 2022. During his time for the Cavaliers, he assisted in writing daily programs for student-athletes and worked closely alongside them to meet the healthy balance of intensity with technique correction. During the 2022 season, the program showcased several highlights that included an NCAA Division I Championships discus title in Claudio Romero and a javelin victory from Ethan Dabbs at the USATF Outdoor Championships.   While at EMU, Roach served as an assistant coach for the track & field team beginning in 2020. For the Royals, he was responsible for coaching all student-athletes in field events while also recruiting prospective student-athletes that excelled both on the field and academically in the classroom. He also assisted in creating quality collegiate track & field meets at Eastern Mennonite, helping manage the event to run smoothly for a great experience for student-athletes and visiting fans.   "It's not all about a number and it's about the athletes' whole experience" explained Roach, "they need to enjoy the time they have and appreciate the opportunity to throw at the next level, and I'm very excited to be a part of that journey in these crucial years as young adults.   Jordan Roach served as a student-athlete at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from 13-16, transferring to Virginia tech after a year on the Coastal Carolinas track & field team. He helped the Hokies to both indoor and outdoor ACC Track & Field Championship team titles, qualifying in the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field National Championships Eastern Regionals in both 2015 and 2016.    After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Virginia Tech, Roach continued his athletic playing career at the professional level, finishing in the top eight at the 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships to earn an All-American status. He also finished eighth overall in the US Olympic Trials back in 2021, his highest finish at trials.  

Adrain Mann was welcomed as assistant coach for sprints and hurdles as well as the recruiting coordinator for the UNLV Track & Field program, head coach Carmelita Jeter announced prior to the 2024-25 track & field season. Mann, a multiple All-American honoree and Olympic Trial qualifier, comes to Las Vegas after spending the last nine seasons at the University of Florida as an assistant coach for the Gators’ sprints and hurdles group. Prior to working at Florida, he also coached at the University of Miami, Clemson University and LSU. “We’re very excited for Coach Mann to join the Rebel Family,” Jeter said. “His 15 years of experience in the SEC and numerous national championship titles will bring an energy and expectation that will roar through our team and staff. I'm so excited for year two here at UNLV and can't wait to see our continuous improvement.” During Mann's first season with the Scarlet & Gray, UNLV found success in the indoor season, as Kennedi Porter earned silver in the 60m (7.32) and 200m (23.26) at the conference indoor championships. The program earned themselves five medals during the outdoor season, as Porter was named the 2025 MW Women's Track Performer of the Meet after sweeping the MW sprints for the second straight season, picking up personal-best times in the 100m (11.24, 4th-best in program history) and 200m (22.95, 5th-best in program history). The women's 4x100m relay, the team of Chineyre Okoro, Porter, AnnaKay Maitland and Jaydea Carter teamed to win the event for the first time since the 2011 season with a time of 47.40 seconds. Lacarthea Cooper also moved up to fourth on the all-time 400m indoor program list with a persona-best time of 53.34 seconds. While at Florida alongside head coach Mike Holloway, Mann’s teams earned 16 individual NCAA championship titles, nine NCAA championship team titles, set five collegiate records, 22 SEC titles and 128 USTFCCCA All-America honors. One of the top individual moments of Mann’s time on staff came at the 2016 NCAA DI Outdoor Championships where a pair of his athletes, Eric Futch and TJ Holmes, became the second pair of teammates since 1983 to finish 1-2 in the 400m hurdles at the national championships. Outside of NCAA events during his time with the Gators, Mann helped his runners earn a top-five finish at the IAAF World Championships, one of each top-three medals at the USATF Outdoor Championships, a gold medal at the Pan American Junior Championships and two US Olympic Trial finalists. A handful of historic feats were also achieved under his guidance, Florida’s men’s 4x100m relay became the first collegiate relay to break the 38-second barrier. In his eight seasons coaching prior to Florida, Mann helped sprinters and hurdlers earn 17 individual national championships, 144 USTFCCCA All-America accolades and 56 individual conference titles. During his five years at LSU under Dennis Shaver, the women’s program won two team titles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (2008 and 2012) while also picking up six SEC titles. The men found runner-up finishes at the Big Dance during those same years, and finished in the top-four programs in all but two SEC Championship meets. His two years at Clemson found plenty of success in 26 USTFCCCA All-Americans, two individual national titles and 15 ACC gold medals. He had a large part in helping the women’s program sweep the ACC Championships in 2013, winning both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships. While at Miami, he mentored Artie Burns and Christian Cook to USTFCCCA All-America honors in the 110m hurdles at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships.  Mann graduated from Florida in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. As a student-athlete, Mann earned consecutive All-America accolades in the 400m hurdles at the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He also took part in the team’s 4x400m relay that finished within the top-six placements at the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Championships as well as the 1998 and 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships. Following the 2000 NCAA Championships, Mann competed in the 400m hurdles at the United States Olympic Trials.  

Brooke Koblitz was hired as an assistant coach for the UNLV track & field/cross country programs in August, 2025. Koblitz comes to Las Vegas after a successful tenure at Trevecca Nazarene University, where she served as the women’s cross country coach and men’s and women’s mid-distance track coach from 2022–2025. At Trevecca, she was the program’s first full-time assistant coach and quickly elevated the women’s cross country team to new heights. In just three seasons, she guided the program from a 12th-place conference finish in 2022 to the highest NCAA Regional finish in school history (12th in 2024), while also earning the team’s first-ever regional ranking. Her athletes set multiple school records on the track, including in the mile, 10K, 1500, and relays, and captured conference scoring performances in both men’s and women’s events. Before her collegiate coaching career, Koblitz spent six years at Nolensville High School in Tennessee, where she built both the cross country and track programs from the ground up. She guided her athletes to consistent state championship appearances, including a third-place finish at the 2021 TSSAA State Track & Field Championships. On the international stage, Koblitz served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2022 World Maccabiah Games in Israel, where her athletes earned multiple medals. She also competed in the Games, winning gold, silver, and bronze across three events. A decorated runner herself, Koblitz has continued to excel post-collegiately, qualifying for the Boston Marathon and achieving multiple podium finishes at major marathons and road races. She holds personal bests of 2:49 in the marathon and 16:46 in the 5K. A native of Georgia, Koblitz was a scholarship cross country and track athlete at the University of Georgia, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics education. She is also USATF Level 1 Coaching Certified.