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Chad James begins his sixth season as assistant cross-country and track-and-field coach. He primarily focuses on the development of the men's team, with an emphasis on distance, jumping, and throwing events. In addition to these coaching duties, James is also a consultant for the United States Olympic Committee. He is currently the U.S. Paralympic Team Seated Throws Coach, working with two Iraqi War veterans who are hopefuls for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. Scott Winkler currently holds the American Record for the Shot Put in the F54 class, while Carlos Leon currently holds the American Record in the Discus for the F52 class. James is USATF Level II-certified as a coach and is a certified personal fitness trainer. In addition, he is an adjunct professor in the department of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. James encourages team members to perform both on the track and academically. In 2004, two-thirds of the male and female Samford cross-country athletes were named to the Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll with a grade point average of 3.0 or better, one of the highest percentages in the conference. James ran competitively for the Bulldogs under current Head Coach Glenn McWaters. He was a member of three TAAC conference championship teams (cross-country in 1999 and 2000, and track-and-field in 2000) and was named to the All-Conference cross-country team in 2000. James received the Top Freshman award in 1996 and was All-Academic 1996-2000. In track, James focused mainly on the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters. A 2000 Samford graduate, James hails from Chattanooga, Tenn., where he ran competitively at The Baylor School, named by Sports Illustrated in 2005 as one of the top 25 sports high schools in America. He recently completed a master's degree of education in exercise physiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. James is married to the former Tara Bourque, a Samford graduate and former Bulldog track and field standout. |
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