Aug. 7, 2008

Michelle Burgher, a medalist at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, has been named an assistant track and field coach at IUP.

In her new position, Burgher will be reunited with IUP head coach Ralph White. She ran for White while a student at Clemson and then served as an assistant coach under White at Williams from 2001-04.

While at Williams, Burgher prepared daily workout regiments for 29 sprinters, hurdlers and middle distant runners. She also assisted in fundraising and the organization of home meets, clinics and camps as well as coordinating campus visits for local and international student-athletes.

Burgher, a 400 meter specialist, competes for the Jamaican national track and field team and has been a professional athlete sponsored by Puma since 2001. She claimed a silver medal in the 4x400 meter relay at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and a bronze in the same event at the 2004 Games in Athens.

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

Individually, Burgher won the 400 meters at the 2003 Central American and Caribbean Games, was a finalist at the 2003 Pan-Am Games and qualified for the 2004 world indoor championships.

Burgher began her college career at George Mason before transferring to Clemson for her final two years. She was a five-time All-American, part of an NCAA championship team in the 4x400 meter relay and has the third fastest 400 meter time in Clemson history.

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