The incredible commitment and hard work it takes to earn Olympic Gold is something found in precious few people. But the University of Maryland track and field program is now reaping the benefit of just that commitment and hard work under the leadership of head coach Andrew Valmon. Now in his fifth season as head coach of the Terrapins, Valmon is committed to the storied past, exciting present and bright future of the Maryland track program. Because of that, his staff and student-athletes are putting in the hard work it takes to bring Maryland track and field back to prominence in the region, the conference and around the nation. In 2006-07, the Terrapins saw a particularly strong improvement on the men's side, due much to the hard work of Dominic Berger. The junior earned his third All-America certificate with a third-place finish at the indoor nationals. His six points gave the Terrapin men a tie for 32nd in the team standings, their best placing at the NCAA Indoor meet since 1980. The Terrapins took advantage of the opportunity to host the Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Championships in 2007 to post a pair of individual champions. In the first event contested at the meet, Toni Aluko won the women's high jump, while Berger captured his second league title in the 110-meter hurdles and accepted his gold medal from Terrapin alumnus and former world-record holder Renaldo Nehemiah. The program continued its upward climb under Valmon in the 2005-06 season. Maryland had its best NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference team finishes in many years when the Terrapins posted All-Americans on both the men's and women's sides. The Terps were 22nd indoors in the women's standings and tied for 30th outdoors on the men's side at the nationals. Berger placed second outdoors in the 110-meter hurdles to follow his All-America status earned indoors in the 60-meter hurdles. Kierra Foster was also a two-time All-American in 2006, placing among the top eight in the nation in the women's long jump both indoors and outdoors. Lynn Hernandez also earned All-America status in the women's long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The points earned at the NCAA Outdoor Nationals by the women's team were Maryland's first since 1991. Maryland also had ACC women's champions both indoors and outdoors for the first time since 2000. The breakthroughs on the men's side were even more impressive, as Maryland scored points at nationals both indoors and outdoors for the first time since 1987. Berger was the Terps' first All-America male student-athlete in the same 19-year period. The 2004-05 season was one of tremendous strides for the Terrapins under Valmon's leadership. Maryland had an All-American indoors when Foster placed in the women's long jump, had a junior national champion when Berger won the 110-meter hurdles at the USATF Junior Nationals and set nine school records indoors and outdoors during the season. The Terrapins also posted a victory in the men's 4x100 relay at the IC4A Championships, their first title at that meet in nearly 20 years. Off the track, Valmon has created a culture of excellence for the track and field program that rivals any of the 27 intercollegiate athletics programs at Maryland. In both 2006 and 2007, Maryland's women's track and field team was among those honored as All-Academic Teams by the USTFCCCA. At the 2006 President's Cup Brunch, Maryland's men's cross country squad earned the President's Cup Team GPA Award, while the women's cross country team earned the NCAA CHAMPS/Lifeskills Award. Terrapin student-athletes were also honored with three individual awards, including Allison Carney, who received an Atlantic Coast Conference Community Service Award. Valmon's commitment also reaches to the classroom, where four of the six programs under his direction earned Academic Progress Rates of a perfect 1,000, with the other two reaching outstanding rates of 985. Valmon's success at Maryland has not gone unnoticed among his peers or the track and field community, as he continues to be a prominent spokesman for issues regarding the sport. In the summer of 2004, Valmon was selected to a distinguished, NCAA/USOC panel to address Olympic sport concerns. The panel continued to meet throughout 2004 and 2005, on its way to looking for creative ways to increase the visibility of various Olympic sports. In 2003, Valmon's first season with the Terps, the men's team received the ACC's Sportsmanship Award for its conduct throughout the year, while three Terps received All-ACC selections. Valmon, who won two Olympic gold medals during his career as an athlete, came to Maryland in 2003 after serving on the track and field staff at Georgetown University since 1995. He had been the head coach of the Hoyas men's team for four seasons. "This is a great opportunity to grow in a program committed to athletic and academic excellence," said Valmon about his new role at Maryland. He earned gold medals as a member of the United States 4x400 relay teams in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. Valmon earned spots on 13 U.S. National Teams, also earning golds at the 1990 Goodwill Games, the 1993 World Championships and the 1994 Goodwill Games. He owns a personal-best of 44.28 in his specialty, the 400-meter dash, and was ranked as high as fourth in the nation and seventh in the world at various times in his career. "Andrew brings a unique combination of talent, commitment, teaching and community involvement that will take our track and field program to the next level of excellence," said Maryland Director of Athletics Deborah Yow at the time of his hiring. "He has the kind of experience and passion for track that will attract very talented student-athletes to our program. He will develop and inspire them athletically and academically to achieve their best potential." As a result of the numerous titles, Valmon has been honored by the U.S. Track Coaches Association with regional awards. In 2002, he was awarded the President's Award by USA Track and Field for his contributions to both USATF and to the sport of track and field. He has been a member of USATF's Athletes Advisory Committee. His stature as an accomplished member of the track and field community was noted by Renaldo Nehemiah, a Maryland alumnus who was a three-time NCAA national champion. "I think it's a great hire," said Nehemiah. "To have a young, enthusiastic coach there will be very good for the university. He has a lot of respect in the track and field community. He's a hungry, aggressive person who will revitalize a program that has a storied background." He earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1987 from Seton Hall University, where he is a member of the Hall of Fame after becoming a three-time All-American. He still holds the Big East Conference Championships record in the 400 and was named the Outstanding Performer of the meet after winning the 400 and participating on two winning relay teams for the Pirates in the 1987 meet. Valmon is married to Meredith Rainey Valmon, a seven-time U.S. national champion and two-time Olympian in the women's 800. The couple and their children, Travis, Maya and Mallory, reside in Rockville, Md. TERPS IN 2006-07
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