1993- 2015 Coach Kearney

Track is a fascinating sport that teaches participants the key elements necessary to overcome adversity.  The Greeks knew this and founded the Olympic movement around Track and Field.

Track is an uncomplicated sport. Participants don’t need to learn complicated plays, study films to determine team tendencies, or change offensive and defensive techniques every week to exploit the weakness of the competitor. A Track participants goal is to convert innate talents, strong discipline, and hard work into maximum performance.

Track forces the participants to confront personal character flaws, demons, personal weaknesses, and insecurities. Jesse Owens Says about mental toughness “The Battles That Count Aren’t the Ones For Gold Medals. The Struggles Within Yourself – The Invisible, Inevitable Battles Inside All Of Us – That’s Where It Is At.” Patti Sue Plumer agrees saying “ Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.” 

The quote “Sports do not build character- It reveals it” defines track and field participants.  Track competition is the only college sport that athletes reveal their character to the fans as the event unfolds. Fans are able to witness the athletes inner struggle as he or she push their bodies to the limits. 

Beverly Kearney 1993- 2013  – Texas track reaches new heights under Kearney

 “It wasn’t about improving self-esteem,” Coach Kearney says. “Give people the tools to empower themselves. That’s what I do with my athletes. All of it is tempered with love.”

Tough love. “She tells us exactly what we need to do,” says quarter-miler Toya Brown, “and she doesn’t mince words.”

Topping the Charts in 1993

From 1993- 2013 Coach Kearney 

 Top 3 National Championship Longhorn Coaches in numerical order including Pre NCAA championships:

14- Coach Reese men’s swimming

6- Coach Quick Women’s swimming -1982, 1984,1985,1986, 1987, 1988,

6- Coach Kearney (outdoor and indoor track in the same year or counted separately) 1998,1999,2005,2006

Coach Kearney’s first-year staff includes Greg Sholars, Michelle Freeman (volunteer coach), Michelle Williams (student Asst.), Cynthea Rhodes, LaGwyn Durden (athletic trainer), and Ilrey Oliver (academics).  It is the first all-black staff ever at UT. No one thought about the possibility of failure. Everyone focused on being the best team at Texas with the highest Grade Point Average and graduation rate.  The staff was driven to help each athlete become the best in track and life after graduation. The staff and Coach Kearney believed that what really mattered was not failing the team and/or each other. Her staff was determined to build a successful winning tradition and add to the women’s track program’s legacy at the University of Texas.

Coach Kearney teams are peppered with amazing athletes who achieve great individual feats that eventually lead to the Longhorns toppling the LSU track dynasty.  It is more about team points than about individual accolades.  Coach Kearney’s track teams win 6 national championships because Greatness is created when like minds come together with a common cause.

• 6 NCAA National Champions Indoor Championships in 1998, 1999, and 2006, and Outdoor Championships in 1998, 1999, and 2005.

• 14 top-three finishes

• 3 times outdoor Coach of the year.

• 2 times Indoor Coach of the Year

• 15 times conference Coach of the Year.

• 2012 “Employee of the Year” award by the Austin Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities

• 2012 honor by the United States Sports Academy with a 2012 Distinguished Service Award. The award is given annually by the Academy to those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to national or international sports through instruction, research or service.

• 2012 Pioneer award- Kearney is recognized as the first African-American head coach, female or male, to win a Division I Track and Field National Title. She achieves the feat six times as head coach at Texas and seven times overall in her coaching career.

• Coach Kearney was featured on CNN Headline News series honoring “Breakthrough Women” series.

• 2009 she is named the Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA) Female Coach of the Year, and the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named the Division I Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year accolade in her honor.

• 2007 she is inducted into the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Beverly is seriously injured in a  Car accident that required years of rehab. 

In an article on Texassports.com, Sheretta Jones discusses Coach  Beverly Kearney’s rehab from a car accident.  

 The article states

“being under Coach Kearney’s tutelage has been another plus for Jones. Sheretta has watched Kearney diligently work her way back to independence after Kearney was involved in a December tragic car accident during Jones’ freshman year. That crash took the lives of two of the five passengers in the car, and Kearney faced months and years of rehabilitation from a spinal injury and paralysis.”

For Jones, Kearney is one of her largest sources of motivation.

“Coach Kearney is inspiration. She was one of the main reasons I came to Texas, because I enjoyed her coaching style and I liked the program she had developed here at UT,” Jones remarked.

“Since her accident, we’ve all been behind her in her recovery, but for her to be as emotionally and physically stable as she is, coming back after what she’s been through, it just makes us want to aspire to different, or higher, heights. When someone has gone through something like that, you can’t complain about what you’re going through because someone else is feeling worse than you are, every day.”

 1993- Coach Beverly Kearney Pending more information

Horns win the SWC Indoor championship and finish 7th in the NCAA indoor meet with only 11 athletes. At both the indoor and  outdoor SWC Championships the Longhorns roll up in two vans while other teams have buses, but the lady longhorns on this team are determined not to maintain the conference winning streak in spite of their small numbers. They accomplished their goal in the indoor and outdoor conference championships during Coach Kerney’s first yea as track coach.  

Beverly says she experienced tremendous successes and challenges throughout her tenure, but nothing can ever match the pure joy of coaching her first seasons.  The young ladies who were at Texas when she  first arrived helped to set the framework for teams that would follow.  

Telisa Young (no picture)  and Eileen Vanisi In 1993 were determined to keep Texas in the top 10 even though they were the only two finalist. Both won the national championship. .  

Telissa Young Is A National Champion In The Triple Jump In 1993 And 1994, and a 4 Time All American.

In 1994 Eileen Vanisi sets the collegiate shot put record.

1994  Coach Beverly Kearney pending

During Coaches second year her staff was instrumental in re-building the Texas Brand to the standards established by the legendary Coach Terry Crawford.  Without Michelle Freeman and LaGwyn Johnson-Durden setting the ground work, we would never have set track records and won 4 National championships in the late 90’s. No one succeeds alone and every staff member and athlete was a “player” in the success. We would have never been able to elevate Texas back to the top both on the podiums on the field of play and in the classrooms without a team effort.

The Horns win their 10th consecutive SWC Indoor title and finish in 3rd place at the National meet. The lady als win the SWC outdoor season with Merlene Fraze winning the 100 and 200. Frazer, Howard, Dana Riley and Zenita Davis win the 4 x 400. Hyman is victorious in the 800 and Nicole Devonish wins the Long Jump.

Merlene Frazer Is Recognized As A National Champion In The 200 M- 1994 And 1995- And The 4 X 400 In 1995.  All American 10 Times.

1995 Coach Beverly Kearney

Topping the charts 1995

Looking for clearer pictures.

Toya Brown Is A National Champion As A Member Of The 4 X 400 Relay In 1995 Thru 1998. She Is A 14 Time All American.

Zenita Davis Is A National Champion As A Member Of The 4 X 400 Relay. She Is A 5 Time All American.

Donna Howard  Is A National Champion As A Member Of 4 X 400 Relay In 1995 Thru 1997. 

1996 Coach Beverly Kearney pending

1997 Coach Beverly Kearney pending

Dana Riley  is recognized as National champion as part of the 4 x 400 relay and 800 M. run, and she is a 5 time All American. 

1998 Coach Beverly Kearney- National Champion Indoor And Outdoor

“For the last 11 years, first at Florida and now at Texas, I’ve been battling for this championship,” said Kearney. “I can’t tell you what a joy it is.”

This year Texas is s loaded with sprinters and UCLA with throwers. Which will prevail, Longhorn speed or Bruin strength?

Denise Backus is a 3 time national champion and a 11 time All American who was part of 4 national championship teams.

Lakeisha Backus is National Champion in the 200 M, 4 x 400 relay in 1998 and the 4 x 400 relay in 1999.

Kim McGruder, Nanceen Perry, Angie Vaughn and LaKeisha Backus win the 4 x 100 relay.  Angie Vaughn is the National Champion in the 55 hurdles, 110 hurdles, and a member of the 4 x 100. She is a 7 time All American and a HOH inductee. 

Angie Vaughn runs a 12.82 to dominate the 100 hurdles. Suziann Reid wins the 400, and Brown picks five points by finishing fourth in the hurdles, Erin Aldrich slipped over 6’4″ to win the high jump, and the Texas 4×400 relay wins . Angel Patterson, Toya Brown, Aminah Haddad and Suziann Reid time is 3:28.65. It is only the second time in Longhorn history that the track team wins both the indoor and outdoors national championships.  Texas defeats UCLA 60 to 55.

Erin Aldrich wins the high jump title with a jump of 6’4″.

1999 Coach Beverly Kearney teams are National Champions Indoor And Outdoor

Aminah Haddad Is Recognized As A National Champion As a member of the 4 X 400 In 1998 And 1999. She is a 4 Time All American.

Kim McGruer Is Recognized As A National Champion As Part Of The 4 X 100 In 1998 And 1999, and a 5 Time All American.  

Lakeesha White Is Recognized as a National Champion in n the The 4 X 100 In 1999 and as a 3 Time All American.  

• In 1996,1998,And 1999 Suziann Reid  Is National Champion In The 400. In 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 She Is A Member  Of The National Champion 4 X 400

• In 1998 And 1999 Suziann Reid Is Named The Honda-Broderick Award Winner As The National Track And Field Athlete Of The Year And Indoor Athlete Of The Year By The USTCA (Now USTFCCCA),

• Suziann Is A 17 Time All American and a HOH inductee. 

2000 Coach Beverly Kearney

Looking for better quality pictures

Tanya Jarrett  Is Recognized As National Champion Of The 4 X 400 Relay In 1999 And 2000.

Nakiya Johnson  Is Recognized As National Champion Of The 4 X 400 Relay In 2000,And Is a 2 Time All American.

Angel Patterson  Is a National Champion On The 4 X 400 Relay In 1998-2000, And a 11 Time All American.  

2001 Coach Beverly Kearney pending

2002 Coach Beverly Kearney pending

Raasin McIntosh Is Recognized As A National Champion As Part Of The 4 X 400 In 2003 And 2004.

2003-Coach Beverly Kearney pending

Sanya Richards-Ross is Named NCAA Outdoor Female Athlete Of The Year. 

Keasha Downer Is Recognized As National Champion As Part Of The 4 X 400. She Is a 5 Times All American.

2004 Coach Beverly Kearney 

Marshevet Hooker is a 4 time individual NCAA champion and 9 time All-American who was part of 2 national championship teams.

2005- Coach Beverly Kearney National Champions Outdoor

Former University of Texas track athlete and Olympic gold medalist Melaine Walker reflects on her Texas experience at the Longhorns Hall of Honor induction ceremony Friday, Nov. 1, 2013.

Melanie Walker Is A National Champion As A Member Of The 4 X 400 In 2005 And The 4 X 100 In 2005 And 2006 And She Is A 7 Time All American. She Is A 2013 Inductee In To The HOH

Jerrika Chapple Is A National Champion on The 4 X 400 And 4 X 100, And a 5 Time All-American.

LaTasha Kerris Is Recognized As a National Champion: A Member Of The 4 X 400 Relay In 2005 And The 4 X 100 In 2005 And 2006.  (no picture)

2006  Coach Beverly Kearney’s team wins the Indoor National Champion

Jasmine Lee Is A National Champion As A Member Of The 4 X 100, And A 3 Time All-American. 

Tameka Kincy is team academic MVP

2007 Coach Beverly Kearney pending

2007 – women’s track earned the 5th consecutive “Most Outstand Team” award at the Texas Relays – Ashley Laughlin breaks the school pole vault record with a 13’ jump.  The women either won or had qualifying members in almost every meet they attended.

2008 Coach Beverly Kearney placed 4th at Nationals

 Townswick, Kincy, Rosby, and Jimenz place second at the Big 12 championship with a school record time.  

2009 Coach Beverly Kearney pending

 2008-2009- women’s track – TEXAS RELAYS – Destinee Hooker won the 5th Texas Relay crown. Alexandria Anderson had a personal best in the 100 meter- the fastest time for a college runner during the season.  Horns Anderson, Cooper, Stewart, and Smith had the second fastest time in the 4  x 400 in the country.  Beverly Kearney was recognized as the Black Coaches and Administrators Female Coach of the Year.   Texas qualified 31 men and women for the NCAA regional meet.

2010 Coach Beverly Kearney

The women’s team finished in 51st place

TOPPING THE CHARTS 2010

4 x 400 relay team places 7th at the national meet ( Alicia Peterson, Stacey Ann Smith, Chantel Malone and Angele Cooper.  ) Team is 51st at the national meet.

2011 Coach Beverly Kearney- Runner Up To National Champions

Alex Anderson wins the indoor championship in the 60M.

2012 Coach Beverly Kearney pending

June 2013 thru 2018 Coach Mario Sategna (Suh-TANE-Yuh)

2014- Coach Sategna Runner-Up To National Champions

2015 –  4th At NCAA  Pending inforation

2016

Tonya Buford-Bailey is the co-interim Longhorn head coach who is recognized as the 2016 Nike Coach of the Year.

As of June 2020 Courtney Okolo holds the NCAA record of 52.75 in the 400 meters.

The Dallas native was four-time NCAA individual champion, In 2016, she earned the Honda-Broderick Award as the National Track & Field Athlete of the Year and was a finalist for the Collegiate Woman’s Athlete of the Year and the Honda Cup that year as well. Following her senior season at Texas, she earned an Olympic Gold Medal as a member of Team USA’s 4x400m relay team at the 2016 Rio Games.

Buford coached 4 Longhorns that attended the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Three earned medals.