Michelle Burgher-Duncan

Title

Women's Head Coach
Email

mburgher@iup.edu
Phone

724.357.2464
Alma Mater

Clemson '01

Michelle Burgher-Duncan, a 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games medalist, will enter her 13th year with IUP track & field for the 2020-21 season. This will be her 10th year as the head coach of the women's program. She previously served as head coach of the men's program from 2011-14 and was an assistant coach from 2008-11.

Under Burgher-Duncan, the women’s team has combined for seven top half finishes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships between the indoor and outdoor seasons. The women’s track & field team has four overall finishes in the top five in the PSAC Championships (three outdoor, one indoor).

During her nine previous years as the head coach of the women's program, she's coached a combined 38 all-region selections (15 indoor, 23 outdoor), two outdoor All-Americans and two PSAC special award winners. Included among her all-region selections are 16 in the jumps, 10 in the sprints, eight distance runners and four in the throws.

Earning outdoor All-American recognition under Burgher-Duncan have been Lizzy Cunningham (2017) and Krista Matsko (2014) both in the 400 meter hurdles. Both women also took home PSAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors those same years.

Burgher-Duncan and the Crimson Hawks are coming off a 2019-20 year shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The indoor season was shutdown during the NCAA championships which led to the cancellation of the outdoor season.

Nickeela Austin earned all-region honors in the long jump and triple jump, also posting second place finishes in both events at the PSAC Indoor Championships. She becamse the first jumper since Laurie Ajavon in 2013 to earn all-region honors in two events in the same season.

In 2018-19 Burgher-Duncan helped Austin and Jessica Jones earn all-region honors during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Austin earned the region honors in the triple jump (outdoor) and the long jump (indoor), while also claiming first place in the triple jump at the 2019 PSAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Jones picked up her All-Region nods after earning the distinction in the 800 meters in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

The 2017-18 season was highlighted by senior hurdler Jada Wilson, who took home the individual title in the 400 hurdles at the PSAC Outdoor Championships. Senior pole vaulter Liz Coppella also wrapped up a successful career by breaking her own indoor record in the event with a height of 12-4 at the YSU Mid-Major Invitational.

In 2016-17, Burgher coached All-American hurdler Lizzy Cunningham. Cunningham finished fourth in the 400 hurdles at the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships with a personal bes time of 59.27. She also became the second IUP woman ever to be named the PSAC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, finishing second in both the 400 hurdles and 800 meters at the conference's outdoor championships. She also ran the lead leg on the winning 4x400 relay squad.

During the 2017 PSAC Outdoor Championships, the women’s track & field team had several individual and relay highlights. Liz Coppella finished fourth in the pole vault by clearing a height of 3.56 meters, breaking the IUP record. Carly Petney and Heather Sternby each won their first career individual titles. Petney raced in the 100 meters, edging out the second place finisher by 0.4 seconds. Sternby won the 400 meters and ran the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay team, breaking another IUP record. The 4x400 relay team also included Lizzy Cunningham, Jada Wilson and Emily Dubler.

The IUP women finished fifth overall, the program's best finish since also coming in fifth place in 2012.

As the head coach of the men’s and women’s track & field teams from 2011-14, Burgher totaled 11 top-half finishes in the PSAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, including both the men’s and women’s teams finishing in third place in the 2011 PSAC Indoor Championships. Burgher coached the men’s team to a 2011 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championship appearance, and the women’s team to an NCAA Indoor Championship.

She has seen a total of six athletes earn individual PSAC Championship titles and 26 athletes break IUP records, including six in the 2016-17 season.

During her time as an assistant and head coach, Burgher has coached five All-Americans: Brianna Liebold, long jump (2011); Leander Toney, high jump (2011); Nafee Harris, long jump (2011); Krista Matsko, 400 hurdles (2014); and Cunningham, 400 hurdles (2017).

Burgher coached three All-Americans to earn Athlete of the Year awards. Brianna Liebold earned PSAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year in 2011. In 2014, Krista Matsko was named the PSAC Outstanding Track Athlete and Lizzy Cunningham was named the PSAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Year in 2017.

In Burgher’s first year as the head coach in 2011, the IUP women’s track & field team earned All-Academic status by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). During her first season she saw eight athletes break IUP records and three athletes earn All-American honors.

In the PSAC Indoor Championships, the women’s team finished third with 74 points, the best finish the team has ever enjoyed at the PSAC indoor meet. The men’s team finished in sixth place during that same competition.

Burgher came to IUP in 2008 from Williams College, where she served as an assistant track & field coach from 2001-2004.

After transferring from George Mason to Clemson in 1999, Burgher became part of the NCAA championship team in the 4x400 meter relay. At the time of graduation, Burgher and the relay team hold the record for the Outdoor 4x400 meter relay at Clemson. She was a five-time All-American, and has been inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame, as a member of the 2013 induction class.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Clemson in 2001 and was the treasurer of the African and Caribbean Student Association.

Burgher competed for the Jamaican National Track & Field team, claiming a silver medal in the 4x400 meter relay at the 2000 Sydney Games and a bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Games in the same event.

Her 4x400 meter relay team won the gold medal at the 2001 world championships in Edmonton and the bronze medal in Paris two years later. Her team claimed the silver medal at the 2003 Pan-American Games.

Individually, Burgher won the 400 meter at the 2003 Central American and Caribbean Games. She was a finalist at the 2003 Pan-Am Games and qualified for the 2004 World Indoor Championships.

Burgher received the 2005 Goodwill Ambassador award from Team Jamaica Bickle in New York and the 2004 Outstanding Olympic Achievement award from the Jamaica Career as Sports Foundation and the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Updated July 24, 2020