Former U.S. Military Academy coach and University of Alabama
hurdler Brandit Copper was appointed an assistant track and field
coach at Cal State Fullerton in October of 2007 and was promoted to
associate head coach on July 1, 2011.
She came to Fullerton from West Point, where she worked with the
men's intermediate hurdles and the women's sprinters, as well as
all of the relay teams for two seasons. She previously spent a
nine-month stint as a volunteer assistant coach at the University
of Florida under the tutelage of legendary Head Coach Mike
Holloway. She had the great responsibility of working with
Holloway’s Olympic Development group; colligate sprinters and
hurdlers who finished second at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor
Championships.
Copper, a 2000 graduate from the University of Alabama, earned a
bachelor's degree in communication studies with a minor in
telecommunication and films. While a member of the Crimson Tide
track and field team, she made the dean's list with a 3.89 GPA in
2000, she was a Scholar Athlete honor roll member from the
Southeastern Conference in 1999-2000. Copper was also named MVP for
the 1999 and 2000 track season. In her senior year she placed
fourth in the 100-meter hurdles in the SEC, 5th in the 100-meter
hurdles at the NCAA Championships and qualified for the 2000 U.S.
Olympic Trials in the 100-meter hurdles. In 1999, Copper placed
third in the 100-meter hurdles and took sixth in the 60-meter
hurdles at the 1999 NCAA Indoor Championships. She became a
professional athlete, qualifying for the World Games and in 2001
was ranked fifth in the world in the 55-meter hurdles. In 2011 she
received a master's degree in Coaching and Athletics Administration
in February from Concordia University in Irvine.
Copper attended Barton County Community College in Great Bend,
Kansas, for two years, picking up an A.A. degree in applied science
in June, 1998. She earned NJCAA All-America honors in the 100-meter
hurdles, 60-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump and 4x400 meter
relay in the 1998 indoor season. She added NJCAA All-America
certificates in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump during the 1998
outdoor season for a total of 13 All-American awards.
In Copper's final season at West Point, she mentored her
sprinters to a huge winning streak. Her athletes captured wins in
five different sprint events, one jump event, and two relays. In
all, Copper coached nine conference champions, two conference relay
champions, 13 ECAC qualifiers, three ECAC relay qualifiers, eight
NCAA regional qualifiers, two NCAA relay qualifiers and four school
records.
Copper is now entering her seventh season overall at Cal State
Fullerton and the third year as the associate head coach.
The 2013 season was definitely one to remember for
Copper’s crew, beginning with a solid indoor season. Deena
Pierce (8.12 in 55-meter hurdles), Katie Wilson (1:25.06 in
600-meter dash), and Ashley Sims (7.11 in 55-meter dash) each broke
a school record in their respective events, all at the Run for the
Dream Invitational in Fresno, Calif.
Jasmyne Davis also put up some nice triple jump performances, as
she never finished any lower than fourth place in all three of her
meets.
But as great as the indoor season was, the outdoor campaign is
where Copper’s group really shined.
There's no question, this was a special crop for Fullerton, as
the Titans sent a school-record seven athletes (four sprinters, two
hurdlers and one jumper) to the 2013 NCAA Regional Championships in
Sims, Wilson, Pierce, Morgan Thompson, Javon May, Bryan Luther, and
Walter Whitaker, with all peaking at the right time, as each one
set a personal best in at least one event at the 2013 Big West
Championships.
Sims set personal bests in both the women's 100 (11.73) and
200-meter dash (23.78), while placing fifth and third at the Big
West Championships. Her 100-meter time ended up being the 75th
fastest in the NCAA West Region, while her 200-meter mark ranked
53rd. In addition, she placed second in the 100-meter dash at the
Pasadena Games back in March and first in the 100-meter dash at the
Big West Challenge in April.
She also produced two other top-three finishes in the 200-meter,
placing second at the Big West Challenge and third at the Pasadena
Games.
Wilson was one of the conference's best 400-meter runners all
season long, as she placed second and ran a personal-best time of
53.39 at the Big West Championships, while finishing the season
with the second best time in the Big West and the 30th fastest in
the NCAA West Region. Wilson also managed to record a first place
finish at the Big West Challenge and place third at the Pasadena
Games earlier in the season.
The junior also collected Big West Female Track Athlete of the
Week back in May, thanks to her performance in the 400-meter dash
at the OXY Invitational. She posted what was at the time, a
season-best mark of 54.59 and placed sixth in the event.
Thompson also excelled in the women's 400-meter, but it wasn't
until the end of the season, when she showed what she really had in
the tank, as she produced a personal best time of 53.90 in the
400-meter prelims at the Big West Championships. The time ended up
ranking as the fourth fastest in the Big West and 48th best in the
NCAA West Region. It was also 2.53-second reduction from her
previous season-best time of 56.43.
As just a sophomore, Pierce took Titan hurdling to new heights
this season, setting a new school-record in the women's 400-meter
hurdles, as she ran a personal best time of 59.67 in the 400-meter
final at the Big West Championships. The time was good for the
fourth best in the conference and 43rd fastest in the NCAA West
Region.
However, her success didn't stop there, as she also ran a
personal best time of 13.87 in the 100-meter hurdles during the
conference championships. The time ranked fourth in the league and
75th in the west.
On the men's side, things were equally as impressive with May
and Luther leading the charge. Both were dominant all year long, as
Luther ended the season with a couple of second place finishes in
both the 100 (10.80) and 200-meter dash (21.34) at the Big West
Championships. He also recorded a personal best 100-meter time of
10.61 in the Big West Championship prelims, which ended up being
the fifth fastest in the conference and 87th best in the west,
while his 200-meter finals time ranked third in the league and 85th
in the NCAA West Region.
Luther took home first place in both the 100 and 200-meter dash
at the Big West Challenge, while also finishing first in the
200-meter dash at the Pasadena Games.
May was just as magnificent in the 400-meter hurdles, garnering
four top-four finishes this season, including placing third at the
Big West Championships, after running a personal best time of
52.16. The mark ends up being the third fastest in the conference
and ranks 37th in the west.
The senior also earned Big West Male Track Athlete of the Week
honors back in march, thanks to his 400-meter performance at the
Florida Relays.
The men's 4x400 (3:12.12) and 4x100-meter (41.08) relay teams
also had successful seasons, finishing second and fourth in the
conference respectively.
Jasiri Blake (100m), Alexis Stewart (100m), and Tony Crutchfield
(110m hurdles) all finished their seasons out strong, as all
recorded PRs at the Big West Championships.
As for the jumpers, Walter Whitaker completed a fantastic
sophomore campaign with a trip to the NCAA West Regionals, where he
competed in the triple jump. He qualified, thanks to a career-best
leap of 49-11.75 at the Big West Championships. The jump was the
fourth-best in the conference and the 40th best in the NCAA West
Region.
Whitaker also excelled in the long jump, as he recorded a
personal best jump of 23-02.50 at the Big West Championships, which
also ranks as the 11th best in the league.
Malek Walls also had a solid season, as the sophomore recorded
his best long jump of the year at the OXY Invitational. His leap of
23-00.75 ended up as the 13th best mark in the Big West.
For the women, there's no need to look any further than Jasmyne
Davis, who recorded a personal-best leap of 38-0.75 in the triple
jump and placed eighth at the Beach Invite. The performance was the
ninth best in the conference. In addition, she also recorded a
first place finish at Pomona Preview.
In 2012, the team started the indoor season off on the right
foot. After only competing in the 60-meter dash one time, sophomore
Ashley Sims broke the record previously held by Ciara Short and
Antonia Vega, with a time of 7.65. At the Big West Conference
Championships, the team of Krizia Apelar, Ashley Sims, Katie Wilson
and freshman Morgan Thompson won the conference title in the 4x100
meter relay with a time of 45.61, continuing a winning streak from
2011. Sims for the first time scored in the 100-meter dash,
finishing second with a time of 11.84. Copper and her team had the
most success in the 200-meter dash, scoring 17 points with Thompson
placing second, Sims placing fourth and Wilson finishing fifth. In
the 400 meters, Wilson also finished second and Thompson finished
third, adding 14 points for the Lady Titans. Sophomore Jasmyne
Davis, recruited hurdler, was transformed into a jumper in the
middle of the season due to injury. Davis placed fifth in the
triple jump. With the top performance from Thompson earned her the
Freshman of the Year award from the Big West conference being the
first in school history to achieve this honor. On the men’s
side, red shirt junior Bryan Luther and senior Aaron Ray scored
seventh and eighth in the men's 200 meters, while freshman Walter
Whitaker finished fourth in the men's triple jump and was the
highest placing individual in the men's program. The men's 4x100
meter relay team, which consisted of Deandrae Woods, Luther, Ray
and Javon May, finished fourth with time of 41.32. The team set a
personal best this season with a time of 41.16, the fastest time
under Copper in her five-year tenure.
She has re-written the Titan record books and made history, as
she led the school's first female sprinter Ciara Short to ever
qualify for the NCAA championships. Short, after just missing
qualifying for the NCAA regional championships in 2009, advanced
all the way to the NCAA semi-finals in 2010 in the 400 and set
school records in the 100, 200 and 400. In February of 2011, Short
qualified for the U.S.A. Nationals and in March she became the
first Titan to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships, running
the 400 meters. Short also became the highest CSUF athlete to earn
All-American outdoor placing fifth in the 400-meter dash. Lauren
Williams, who is also a four-time champion in the 100-meter hurdles
in the Big West Conference, placed second at the 2009 NCAA West
Regional Championships with a then personal best of 13.22. Williams
and Short were also a part of the winning 4x100 meter relay squad
in 2011 at Big West Championships, teaming up with Katie Wilson and
Ashley Sims.
In Copper's first season as a Titan she had success in guiding
the sprinters and hurdlers to one of their best seasons. In the
hurdles, Roberto Archibald defended his title in the 400-meter
hurdles with a personal best of 51.66, while freshman Lauren
Williams took the 100-meter hurdles in a
time of 13.77. On the sprint side of things, Copper qualified
two freshmen -- Mike Stoke (10.60) and Jestin Blackmon (10.74) --
to the 100-meter finals and sophomore Lawrence Trice (21.34) in the
200-meter dash. Junior Garette Myers placed third in the 400-meter
with a personal best of 47.12. Senior Ralynn Devine shattered a
20-year-old school record in the 200 meters after not competing for
two years due to a knee plica injury with a time of 24.08, placing
her third at the Big West Championships, as she also finished
fourth in the 100-meter with a time of 11.89. Freshman Ciara Short
was runner up in the 400 meters with a personal best of 54.34.
Copper ended the season with two Big West Champions, four All- Big
West performers, one All-Big West relay, three NCAA Regional
Qualifiers and three school records.
Copper's parents are Susie Felton-Shaw and Larry Copper. The
Philadelphia native has five sisters and one brother and was the
first in the family to attend college and graduate. She graduated
with honors as a scholar athlete in the top three of her class from
William Penn Demonstration High School. She now resides in
Fullerton with her son, Brandon Channing Campbell.
Copper has been an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Inc since 2000.
Accomplishments as a Coach (at
CSUF)
*20 Big West Champions
*30 All-Big West Performers
*7 All-Big West Relays
*20 Regional Qualifiers
*11 NCAA Qualifiers
*29 School Records
*2 USA outdoor semi-finalist
*3 Junior outdoor qualifier
*2 Big West Athletes of the Year
*1 All-American scholar-athlete honoree
*1 CSF Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
*3 All-Academic Women’s Track &Field Team
*1Freshman of the Year
________________________________________
Accomplishments as a Coach (at
Army)
*9 Conference Champions
*2 Conference Relay Champions
*13 ECAC Qualifiers
*3 ECAC Relay Qualifiers
*8 NCAA Regional Qualifier
*2 NCAA Relay Regional Qualifier
* 4 School Records
________________________________________
Accomplishments & Awards as a
Student-Athlete
* 13 x All NJCAA from 1997-1998 (Barton County Community
College)
* 2x All American from 1999-2000 (University of Alabama)
* Scholar Athlete honor Roll from the Southeastern Conference
1999-2000
* Dean's List 2000 (University of Alabama)
* MVP 1999-2000 (University of Alabama)
* Ranked 5th in the World in 55 MH in 2001
* Qualifier Olympic Trail in 2000
* Placed 5th NCAA 100mh 2000
* Placed 4th SEC 100 mh 2000
* Placed 3rd SEC 100 mh 1999
________________________________________
Achievements/Certifications
Track and Field Academy- Certified in Program Management in
2012
USATF Level I Coaching Certification
USATF Level II Coaching Certification - Sprints/hurdles/relays
USATF Level II Coaching Certification - Jumps
USATF Level III/ IAAF Academy Certification - Sprints/ Hurdles
CPR/AED Certification
XXI NACACTFCA International Athletics Congress Certification -
October 20