Duane Ross recently completed his fifth year as the Head Coach for the Men and Women’s Track and Field Program. He begins his sixth year as the head coach and fifth year as the Director of Men and Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country.
The Monarchs have made tremendous strides in just five seasons under Ross with numerous All-Conference honors and All-American honors. The Monarchs have taken home nine National Championships and 44 All-American honors.
This past season, the Methodist women won the outdoor Mason Dixon Conference Championships while finishing fourth at both the 2012 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Ashlynn Chavis wrapped up her career with three aditional national titles.
During the 2010-11 season, the Methodist women won both the indoor and outdoor Mason Dixon Conference Championships. Ashlynn Chavis won four national titles and currently holds six top-10 marks on the NCAA all-time lists. Ruby Blackwell added two championships and the duo combined to finish fourth at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. The Methodist women went onto finish third at the Outdoor Championships.
During the 2010 season, Ruby Blackwell was named the Mason Dixon Indoor Conference Athlete of the Year before going on to become a national champion in the 200 meters during the outdoor season. Blackwell earned All-American honors in the 100 and 200 and Ashlynn Chavis repeated as an All-American in the long jump. Greg Bailey was another All-American in the 200 meters and combined with Cedric McGill, Stefan Johnson and Pierson Singleton as All-Americans in the 4x100 meter relay.
In 2009, five Methodist student-athletes traveled to the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships in 10 events with all five earning All-American status. The men's team finished 17th at the NCAA Championships, their highest finish in 20 years. On the women's side, Ashlynn Chavis was the first female All-American for the program in 22 years. Tazz Petty was named the Mason Dixon Indoor Conference Athlete of the Year while Chavis was named the Outdoor Conference Athlete of the Year. During the indoor season, Petty and Chavis had the fastest times in the country for 55 meters for five weeks. During the outdoor season, Michael Hill had the fastest time in the 100 meters for four weeks while the men's 4x100 meter relay team had the fastest time nationally for the entire season.
Ross joined the Monarchs after completing his professional career as an
Olympian and world class sprinter. Ross competed as a professional hurdler and finished ninth at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Ross was a silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Trials, a bronze medalist at the 1999 World Championships, a two-time U.S. Champion, two-time U.S. silver medalist, and a four-time member of the United States World Championship team. He was consistently ranked top ten in the world in his event throughout his career.
Ross began his coaching career at his alma mater, Clemson University, in 1996 as a volunteer assistant coach. Ross has his USA Track and Field Level 1 coaching certification and is also a certified USA Track and Field Official. He also serves as the Vice President for USA Track and Field for the state of North Carolina and serves as a board member for the Wake County Council on Fitness and Health.
Ross attended high school in Dallas, North Carolina before attending Clemson University where he would become a seven-time All-American, Five-Time ACC Champion and NCAA Champion. Ross resides in Garner, NC. He graduated from Clemson in 1996 with a degree in Financial Management and a minor in Accounting.
