April 18, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS - George Mason's men's track and field assistant coach Juli Henner will serve as an assistant under head coach Amy Deem for Team USA's women's track and field squad at the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, USA Track and Field announced. An accomplished former athlete herself, Henner will specialize in coaching the distance events.

Henner is in her second season as an assistant coach at George Mason in 2006-07 after serving as an assistant coach at Georgetown University, working with the men's and women's middle distance runners. She was part of the U.S. staff for the 2003 World Cross Country Championships and was team leader at the 2006 World Cross Country meet in Fukuoka, Japan. A 1996 Olympian in the 1,500 meters, Henner was an All-American at James Madison University. She won silver medals in the 1,500 meters at the World University Games in 1993 and 1995. Post-collegiate athletes she currently coaches include 2006 USA indoor 1,500 meter champion Chris Lukezic and former NCAA 800 meter champion Sam Burley.

Joining Henner on the staff of the women's team in addition to head coach Deem will be Caryl Smith Gilbert, who will coach the jumps and combined events; Danny Williams, who will work with the sprints and hurdles; and John Frazier, who will coach the throwing events. Deem is the head women's coach at the University of Miami, Williams is an assistant coach at Cal Poly and Smith Gilbert and Frazier both serve as assistants for the University of Tennessee women's track and field team. Diane Wholey, a member of Texas Tech's coaching staff, will serve as the head manager for the women's team.

USA Track and Field also announced its coaching staff for the men's team. Texas A&M head coach Pat Henry will serve as the head coach. Assisting Henry will be Mike Holloway, Ron Warhurst, Cliff Rovelto and Robert Weir. Ralph Lindeman will serve as the head manager for the men's team.

Deem, Henry and the Team USA staff will guide the World's No. 1 Track and Field Team at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. At the most recent World Outdoor Championships in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland, Team USA set an all-time record in winning 14 gold medals. Team USA also won eight silver medals and three bronze medals for 25 medals overall, equaling its second-best medal tally in World Outdoor Championships history (1993, Stuttgart), and finishing one shy of the all-time record of 26 at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo.