July 15, 2009
SAN DIEGO - Shelia Burrell (SHEE-la Bur-RELL), a two-time Olympian and five-time United States champion, has been named the head track and field coach at San Diego State, Aztec athletic director Jeff Schemmel announced today.
"We are thrilled to have Shelia Burrell as our next head coach," Schemmel said. "She brings a wonderful pedigree of success, both as an athlete, a coach and educator. Her passion for the students, her knowledge and expertise, and her national presence in track and field made her an obvious choice for San Diego State."
"I'm excited for the great opportunity to come to San Diego State," Burrell said. "There is a great tradition and history with this program, and I look forward to building on its success. I consider San Diego home and I believe there is a ton of potential for great things to happen."
Burrell comes to Montezuma Mesa after spending two seasons in Washington, D.C., at Georgetown University where she coached the women's and men's sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws. During her stint at the Big East Conference school, Burrell helped the women to a pair of runner-up efforts at the indoor conference meet and a third-place finish at the 2009 outdoor league meet. On the men's side, Burrell helped the Hoyas to their highest outdoor conference finish in seven years this past season when they came in third place.
For her efforts in 2009, Burrell, along with GU assistant Chris Miltenberg, was named the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Mid-Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year. The award came on the heels of a season in which she helped the most sprinters and hurdlers qualify for the NCAA Regional Championships in recent school history.
Prior to her stay at Georgetown, Burrell was an assistant coach at nearby San Diego Mesa College where she oversaw the sprint, hurdle and jumping events. During her time at Mesa, Burrell coached conference champions in the 100-meters, 100- and 400-meter hurdles and the long jump. Burrell's other coaching stops include stints at Kansas State (2000-03), where she helped the Wildcats to the Big 12 Conference crown in 2002, and at Cal State Northridge (1998-00).
A USA Track and Field Level One and Level Two certified coach in the sprints, hurdles and multi-events, Burrell has served as a sprint and hurdle clinician for various camps. In 2006, she successfully organized and directed a track and field clinic at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.
Athletically, Burrell was a world-class performer who competed in the heptathlon at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and finished in fourth place at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Burrell, who was an All-American at UCLA, was a five-time U.S. national champion in the heptathlon (1999, 2001-04) and runner-up twice (1998, 2000). At the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada, Burrell earned a bronze medal to become the first American since Jackie Joyner-Kersee to medal at an international championship.
In her spare time, Burrell owns and operates SheBe Gold Performance Exercise. The active health and fitness company strives to develop and brand youth sports and conditioning programs, as well as design, promote and implement performance training theory to the everyday individual. Burrell has extensive knowledge and expertise in the area of speed and conditioning on levels of performance, having worked with athletes from all sports, including track and field, football, baseball, soccer, basketball and boxing.