Melanie Rhoden enters her fifth season at Mason as an assistant coach. She works with the sprinters and jumpers.
Rhoden helped the women’s team win both the Indoor and Outdoor Atlantic 10 titles in 2014. After setting an Atlantic 10 record in her preliminary run in the 100m hurdles on day one of the meet, Shavon Briscoe won the individual conference title. George Empty secured an individual title and 10 points in the 400m hurdles with a first place finish. Chantel Richardson won the Long Jump and the women’s 4x400m relay broke the conference record in the event. The men’s 4x400m relay team also took home the top spot at the Outdoor conference championships before doing the same at the IC4A Championships and qualifying for a spot in the semi-finals of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. At the indoor championships, the Patriots earned five top finishes in Rhoden’s disciplines, including the Rookie of the Year winners on both the men’s and women’s side in Ayo Raymond and Chantel Richardson . The women also broke the conference record in the 4x400m relay
In 2013 Outdoor, Rhoden athletes performed well led by David Verburg who wrapped up his collegiate season with the Patriots with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Finals in the 400m dash. Verburg was one of eight of Rhoden’s athletes to earn USTFCCCA All-American honors. Verburg went onto the USA Championships and set a PR with a time of 44.75 and also earned a spot on the USA World Championship team for Moscow, Russia. Verburg ran lead off leg for the United States and helped the team win the Gold Medal in the 4x400m relay. Briscoe set a school record with a time of 13.35 in the qualifying run of Outdoor ECAC the 100m hurdles. Along with Briscoe and Verburg; Anthony Williams (110hmh), Taylor Wheaton (400mh), Jimi Tele (Triple Jump), Adrian Vaughn (200m), Aneesha Scott (200m), Daianna Barron (400m) Cierra McGee (400m), Dominique Graham (4x4) Angel Coburn(4x4) DaQuan Smalls (4x4) made the trip to Greensboro and both 4x4 teams moved onto the Next round to Eugene, Oregon and the Women’s 4x4 received second-team all- American.
2013 Indoor, saw the Mens 4x400m relay earn All-American Honors In Fayetteville, Arkansas with an eighth place finish. David Verburg also earned Second Team All-American in the 400m. At the IC4A Championships George Empty broke the school record and winning the event in the 500m with a time of 1:01.24. Adrian Vaughn tied the school indoor record with a time of 21.19. The Womens team had two School records fall as well under Coach Rhoden with Daianna Barron in the 600m and the Womens 4x4 team consisting of Barron, Cierra McGee, Taylor Wheaton and Dominique Graham running a time of 3:35.77 at the ECAC Championships.
In 2012, Rhoden assisted to the success of conference champions Amanda Denger and Gustavo Osorio in the multi-events. Coach Rhoden also worked with the sprinters/jumpers and hurdlers as David Verburg broke the school record in the 600m indoor. David was named NCAA Southeast Region Athlete of the Year, Received CAA Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet and CAA Male Athlete of the Year awards and broke the conference record in the 400m (45.06), previously held by George Mason Brandon Simpson. Verburg went on to finish fourth at NCAA championships in 400m and seventh at the US Olympic Trials, while winning the NACAC - U23 Championships in the 400m while representing the US.
Additionally, Rhoden helped coach LaVell Handy to a Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet honor. Handy qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship in the triple jump and outdoor championship in the long jump, receiving All-America honors in both. He also competed at the Olympic Trials, and finished his career ranked eighth in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump on the Mason all-time list. Rhoden helped coach several other top performers during 2012 including: Taylor Wheaton breaking the school record in the indoor 600m; the women's 4x400m relay earning an indoor ECAC championship; Cierra McGee(400m) and Adrian Vaughn(200m) qualified for the second round of the NCAA East Region Championships during the outdoor season; both mens' and women's 4x400m relay ream qualified for NCAA Outdoor Championship; the men received All-America honors while becoming the No. 2 4x400m relay at Mason all-time.
Rhoden spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan State prior to coming to Mason. There she also worked with the sprinters, jumpers, and hurdlers. Prior to that, she spent three seasons at the College of New Jersey. Her first two years, she was a graduate assistant, and then after earning her master's degree, she spent one year as an assistant coach.
A native of Ewing, N.J. and a graduate of Ewing H.S., Rhoden was a scholarship sprinter and hurdler at Villanova University. She earned a bachelor's degree in human services in May of 2004. Her master's which she earned in the spring of 2006, is in counselor education.
Rhoden is USATF Level 1 Certified Coach and a Level 2 Certified Coach in jumps. She resides in Fairfax.
