Women's Outdoor Track and Field Southern Conference

Brooks Named Elon Track and Field Coach

ELON, N.C.-- Elon Athletics announced today that DeAnne Brooks will become its new head women's track and field coach. She replaces Jackie Sgambati, who will retain her position as head women's cross country coach while also taking over the men's cross country program and still assisting with track and field. Brooks will coach both indoor and outdoor track while also assisting with cross country.
"The program has a strong foundation as far as facilities, administration, support staff and athletes and I'm excited about building on that," Brooks said. "I have a lot of ideas and am excited about taking the program to the next level."

Brooks, a 1996 graduate of Cummings High School, served as the assistant track and field coach at Elon during the 2003 season, working mostly with the sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers. Brooks has also been a coach for the Durham Striders for eight years, coaching mostly 12-18 year olds. While in graduate school, Brooks served as a volunteer coach for the University of Georgia track and field squad, assisting with sprints, long jump, triple jump, high jump and hurdles.

While in undergraduate school at the University of North Carolina, Brooks achieved NCAA All-American status four years in the triple jump for the Tar Heels while also serving as team captain her senior year. She was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Team all four years as well as receiving an NCAA Scholar Athlete Award in 2000. She was also awarded the Arthur Ashe Junior Award and an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship in 2000. Brooks was a U.S. Olympic Team Trial participant in 2000. In 2002, she was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Top 50 All-Time Indoor Track and Field Team. Brooks received her bachelor of arts degree in exercise and sports science in 2000. She earned a master of education degree in clinical exercise physiology in 2002.

Brooks has an extensive background in personal training and fitness. While working as a personal trainer, Brooks also worked as a speed and conditioning coach for professional football players. Brooks has also served as a health fitness specialist at Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems at Cisco Systems, Inc. and worked as an exercise physiologist at Duke Health and Fitness Center at the Center for Living.