BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M Track & Field Head Coach Pat Henry added four newcomers to the staff as volunteer assistant coaches, including Aggie alum standouts Deon Lendore and Jacob Wooten.
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"We have a great group of volunteer assistant coaches," Henry said. "Coach Terri (Turner-Hairston) and Coach Hunter (Allen), along with the four newcomers, brings a wealth of understanding to their disciplines. This group from the get-go, I'm just pleased to have."
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Allen and Turner-Hairston return as volunteer assistants while Brooke Krohley, Jordan Pingel and former Texas A&M All-American Wooten and Lendore are new additions for the 2020-21 season.
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"Over the years our volunteer assistants have been integral parts of our ability to be successful," said Henry. "The ones that are good communicators are people who have really helped our program and as a result have gone on to be coaches within the NCAA."
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Deon Lendore (400m, 800m)
Lendore assists Coach Henry with the 400m and Coach Mallard with the 800m. Since his graduation from Texas A&M in 2015, Lendore has been competing professionally under contract with Puma while representing Trinidad and Tobago. Lendore has appeared in the past two Olympic games, and he anchored Trinidad and Tobago to a bronze medal in the 4x400m in 2012 at the London Olympics. He was a two-time 2016 world indoor championships bronze medalist in the 400m and 4x400m, and a 2015 world championship silver medalist in the 4x400m in 2015.
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As an Aggie, Lendore was a 12-time All-American, 11-time SEC champion and four-time Big 12 champion. He was a member of the 2013 and 2014 outdoor 4x400m national championship relay teams, as well as a member of the 2015 indoor 4x400m national championship relay. Individually he claimed the 2014 indoor and outdoor 400m NCAA titles on his way to be honored as the 2014 Bowerman Award recipient. Â
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While volunteering as an assistant, Lendore will continue to train in College Station with former Texas A&M assistant coach Vince Anderson and compete professionally in preparation for the 2021 Olympics.
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Jacob Wooten (Pole Vault, Jumps, Multi-Event's)
Wooten enters his first season as a volunteer assistant and will be working with the pole vault, jumps and multi-event's groups. Wooten was a seven-time NCAA All-American and four-time All-SEC finisher in the pole vault. In 2018 he claimed the 2018 SEC Indoor title and went on to place third at the 2019 NCAA Indoor championships setting an indoor school record (5.73m/18-9.5). Later that spring, he established Texas A&M's current outdoor record (5.71m/18-8.75). He continues to compete professionally and recently in February cleared a personal best height of 5.90m/19-4.25.
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Brooke Krohley (800m)
Krohley comes to Aggieland after working as a graduate assistant at Valparaiso during the 2019-20 season. Prior to working with the sprints and hurdles groups at Valpo, she spent the 2018-19 season at Mark T. Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Connecticut as an assistant coach working with the high jump and sprints events. She was a two-time Northeast-10 conference champion and an NCAA Division II national qualifier at Southern Connecticut State. In 2018 she was a member of the 4x400m relay team that claimed the Northeast-10 indoor and outdoor titles. She ran lead-off on the 4x400m relay that claimed the 2017 NEICAAA outdoor title before advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships.Â
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She graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and is currently pursuing her master's in sports management. Krohley is a native of Bethany, Conn.
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Jordan Pingel (Distance)
Pingel comes to Texas A&M after spending the last two years at the University of Dubuque, where he served as a graduate assistant coach for multiple event groups including cross country, horizontal jumps and distance events. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Pingel competed on the Northern Iowa track & field team from 2014-18 specializing in middle distance events. As a Panther, he was a two-time All-MVC 800m runner. He graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science.
He received his master's degree in sports management from the University of Dubuque in May 2020. Pingel is a Pella, Iowa, native, and is a certified USATF level 2 endurance coach.
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Hunter Allen (Jumps and Multi-Event's)
Allen enters his second season as a volunteer assistant. Prior to joining the coaching staff, Allen worked as a manager for two seasons and competed as a member of the 2015-16 Aggie Track & Field team.
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A Sunnyvale, Texas, native, Allen graduated from Texas A&M with his bachelor's degree in motor behavior in 2019 and is currently pursuing his master's in sports physiology. He is USTFCCCA jumps certified and is USATF Level 2 certified.
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Terri Turner-Hairston (Jumps)
Turner-Hairston is in her third year volunteering on the Aggie staff. During her time in Aggieland she has worked with assistant coach Sean Brady in producing elite jumpers including Tyra Gittens, Deborah Acquah, Will Williams and Tahar Triki.
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Turner-Hairston competed for Texas from 1983-1986, and she finished her career as one of the best jumpers in Longhorn history and her school records in the triple jump still stand. As a Longhorn she was a two-time NCAA Champion, a 12-time All-American and won a total of 15 Southwest Conference titles while competing in the triple jump, 400m, 600 yards and the relay events.
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"We have a great group of volunteer assistant coaches," Henry said. "Coach Terri (Turner-Hairston) and Coach Hunter (Allen), along with the four newcomers, brings a wealth of understanding to their disciplines. This group from the get-go, I'm just pleased to have."
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Allen and Turner-Hairston return as volunteer assistants while Brooke Krohley, Jordan Pingel and former Texas A&M All-American Wooten and Lendore are new additions for the 2020-21 season.
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"Over the years our volunteer assistants have been integral parts of our ability to be successful," said Henry. "The ones that are good communicators are people who have really helped our program and as a result have gone on to be coaches within the NCAA."
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Deon Lendore (400m, 800m)
Lendore assists Coach Henry with the 400m and Coach Mallard with the 800m. Since his graduation from Texas A&M in 2015, Lendore has been competing professionally under contract with Puma while representing Trinidad and Tobago. Lendore has appeared in the past two Olympic games, and he anchored Trinidad and Tobago to a bronze medal in the 4x400m in 2012 at the London Olympics. He was a two-time 2016 world indoor championships bronze medalist in the 400m and 4x400m, and a 2015 world championship silver medalist in the 4x400m in 2015.
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As an Aggie, Lendore was a 12-time All-American, 11-time SEC champion and four-time Big 12 champion. He was a member of the 2013 and 2014 outdoor 4x400m national championship relay teams, as well as a member of the 2015 indoor 4x400m national championship relay. Individually he claimed the 2014 indoor and outdoor 400m NCAA titles on his way to be honored as the 2014 Bowerman Award recipient. Â
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While volunteering as an assistant, Lendore will continue to train in College Station with former Texas A&M assistant coach Vince Anderson and compete professionally in preparation for the 2021 Olympics.
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Jacob Wooten (Pole Vault, Jumps, Multi-Event's)
Wooten enters his first season as a volunteer assistant and will be working with the pole vault, jumps and multi-event's groups. Wooten was a seven-time NCAA All-American and four-time All-SEC finisher in the pole vault. In 2018 he claimed the 2018 SEC Indoor title and went on to place third at the 2019 NCAA Indoor championships setting an indoor school record (5.73m/18-9.5). Later that spring, he established Texas A&M's current outdoor record (5.71m/18-8.75). He continues to compete professionally and recently in February cleared a personal best height of 5.90m/19-4.25.
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Brooke Krohley (800m)
Krohley comes to Aggieland after working as a graduate assistant at Valparaiso during the 2019-20 season. Prior to working with the sprints and hurdles groups at Valpo, she spent the 2018-19 season at Mark T. Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Connecticut as an assistant coach working with the high jump and sprints events. She was a two-time Northeast-10 conference champion and an NCAA Division II national qualifier at Southern Connecticut State. In 2018 she was a member of the 4x400m relay team that claimed the Northeast-10 indoor and outdoor titles. She ran lead-off on the 4x400m relay that claimed the 2017 NEICAAA outdoor title before advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships.Â
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She graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and is currently pursuing her master's in sports management. Krohley is a native of Bethany, Conn.
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Jordan Pingel (Distance)
Pingel comes to Texas A&M after spending the last two years at the University of Dubuque, where he served as a graduate assistant coach for multiple event groups including cross country, horizontal jumps and distance events. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Pingel competed on the Northern Iowa track & field team from 2014-18 specializing in middle distance events. As a Panther, he was a two-time All-MVC 800m runner. He graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science.
He received his master's degree in sports management from the University of Dubuque in May 2020. Pingel is a Pella, Iowa, native, and is a certified USATF level 2 endurance coach.
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Hunter Allen (Jumps and Multi-Event's)
Allen enters his second season as a volunteer assistant. Prior to joining the coaching staff, Allen worked as a manager for two seasons and competed as a member of the 2015-16 Aggie Track & Field team.
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A Sunnyvale, Texas, native, Allen graduated from Texas A&M with his bachelor's degree in motor behavior in 2019 and is currently pursuing his master's in sports physiology. He is USTFCCCA jumps certified and is USATF Level 2 certified.
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Terri Turner-Hairston (Jumps)
Turner-Hairston is in her third year volunteering on the Aggie staff. During her time in Aggieland she has worked with assistant coach Sean Brady in producing elite jumpers including Tyra Gittens, Deborah Acquah, Will Williams and Tahar Triki.
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Turner-Hairston competed for Texas from 1983-1986, and she finished her career as one of the best jumpers in Longhorn history and her school records in the triple jump still stand. As a Longhorn she was a two-time NCAA Champion, a 12-time All-American and won a total of 15 Southwest Conference titles while competing in the triple jump, 400m, 600 yards and the relay events.
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