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Hodnett has established the team’s strength and conditioning program and is responsible for recruiting, assisting with team travel and purchasing equipment. He has helped expand the Long Island recruiting base outside of the United States, bring in athletes from places such as Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Canada. After aiding the Blackbirds in their pursuit of back-to-back Northeast Conference women’s indoor championships, Hodnett was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003. During the 2006 campaign, he continued his ways by helping Bryan Steele finish second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 49.02 at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Steele’s performance garnered All-America honors for the second time in his career. He became only the second individual in program history to earn All-America honors in track and field. The other, Richard James, also ran for Hodnett. James finished eighth in the 400-meter dash at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2003. Hodnett arrived at Long Island following an impressive five-year run as an assistant men’s coach at his alma mater, Norfolk State. Working closely with the sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and relay teams, he was instrumental in developing five All-Americans in his final year at the school. During his stay, the squad captured six CIAA team championships along with a pair of MEAC championships. Hodnett graduated from Norfolk State in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management. He was a five-time Division II CIAA champion as a member of the sprint, hurdle and relay teams. Hodnett received his master’s degree in health science from Long Island in 2005. He currently lives in Brooklyn. ABOUT
COACH GISCOMBE Giscombe is the 2001 Jamaican intercollegiate high jump champion and runner-up in the javelin competition. He competed for Augustana College in the high, long and triple jumps in addition to running the 4x400-meter relay and participating in the javelin throw. Giscombe holds both the Augustana indoor and outdoor high jump records. A graduate of G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports in St. Catherine, Jamaica, Giscombe has also received degrees in fitness management and teacher education from Augustana. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology at Long Island. ABOUT COACH CARTER-SINCLAIR Ashley Carter-Sinclair, one of the most prolific leapers in Blackbird history, returns for his second year as assistant coach at his alma mater. Carter-Sinclair is a four-time Northeast Conference champion, a school record holder and an NCAA regional qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles. A four-year letterwinner, Carter-Sinclair ended his college career by earning the distinguished William “Dolly” King Award for Excellence in Athletics, an honor bestowed by the Long Island University athletic department in memory of former Long Island administrator, coach and student-athlete William “Dolly” King. An Academic All-American, Carter-Sinclair received his bachelor’s degree in English and psychology in 2004. He is working toward a master’s degree in English with a focus in professional and creative writing. In addition to shaping Long Island’s future jumpers, Carter-Sinclair is currently an English department teaching fellow, instructing a freshman composition course. ABOUT TAMARA DAYES Tamara Dayes returns for her second season as the academic coordinator for the Long Island University track and field coaching staff. Dayes will also work with the Blackbirds’ throwers. Before coming to Long Island, Dayes was a strength and conditioning assistant at Velocity Sports Performance. She also served as the graduate assistant track and field coach at Virginia Commonwealth in 2003. While at VCU, her athletes placed second in the discus and third in the shot put at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships. Dayes was a four-year letterwinner at Southern Mississippi, where she was the 2001 Conference USA champion in the discus. She was also a runner-up in the shot put event at both indoor and outdoor championships. She currently holds four throwing records for the Golden Eagles. Dayes was the Jamaican national high school champion in both the discus and shot put and has represented Jamaica at the CAC and Pan-Am Junior Championships. Dayes earned her Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism with a minor in Spanish from Southern Mississippi in 2002, and is currently working on a master’s in sports sciences with an emphasis in coaching and conditioning at Long Island.
Richard James returns for his third season as a volunteer assistant coach for his alma mater. James, one of the most decorated athletes in Long Island history, assists with recruiting, training and travel. James arrived at Long Island
from Southwest Christian College where he was a two-time NJCAA
All-American in the 1,600-meter
relay. After receiving his associate degree, James made a major
impact for the Blackbirds as a 13-time Northeast Conference individual
and relay champion. He earned the 2003 Most Valuable Performer
Award at the NEC Outdoor Championships and was honored as the
Most Outstanding Track Performer four times. With an eighth-place
finish in the 400-meter dash at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and
Field Championship, James became the school’s first male
track and field All-American. In 2004, James represented his
native Jamaica in the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
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ABOUT
COACH HODNETT
ABOUT COACH JAMES