Nike Track & Field Camp at the University of Houston

Lewis is known as one of the greatest athletes in the world winning 10 Olympic medals, nine of those gold, and 10 world championship medals.

He still holds the school records for the indoor 55-meter dash (6.07) and both indoor and outdoor long jump records 8.56m (28’-1”) and 8.62m (28’-3.5”). A six-time All-American, Lewis won six national championships and nine individual conference championships during his two seasons at Houston.

During the 2019-20 season the Cougars sprinters made big strides, helping the Cougars sweep The American Indoor Track & Field Championships for the second consecutive season. The Houston Cougars were on pace to have yet another outstanding outdoor season before competition was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cougars continued to have success in the sprints during both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons at the Cougars claimed their second straight NCAA title in the 4x100-meter relay and earned back-to-back third-place finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships anchored by strong performances in the sprints and relays.

Lewis played a key role in the Cougars 2017 Men's 4x100-meter Relay NCAA Championships. Working with the sprinters, Lewis' team of John Lewis III, Mario Burke, Jacarias Martin and Cameron Burrell ran 38.44 to break the school record and claim the gold medals. Lewis' athletes in the sprints and jumps claimed nine individual American Athletic Conference Championships in 2017, while Burrell finished as the runner up at each of the indoor 60-meter dash and outdoor 100-meter dash national championships.

In his first two seasons, Lewis helped lead the Cougars to nine individual American Athletic Conference Championships and NCAA runner-up finished in the 60-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relay in 2016.

Lewis came to Houston to run for head coach Tom Tellez in 1979. A year later, he appeared on the national scene when he qualified for the United States team for the 1980 Olympics in the long jump and 4x100 relay team. Since then, he competed in four Olympic Games as a member of team USA.

He held the world record in the men’s 100-meter dash in 1991, until Burrell broke the record in 1994. The two were also a part of the US 4x100 relay team that broke the world record during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Carl Lewis’ achievements are unprecedented in track and field: He is one of two athletes to win nine Olympic gold medals. Similarly, he is one of two to win four golds in the same event. He also won 10 medals, including eight golds, at the World Outdoor Championships, the most by any athlete in the world. Growing up in Willingboro, N.J., Lewis came from an athletic family, and yet he blossomed late in his high school career.

The following year, as a freshman at the University of Houston, he qualified for the Olympic team in the long jump. Because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics, Lewis had to wait four years for his Olympic glory.

By 1984, he had already ranked number one in the world in both the 100 meters and long jump for three consecutive years. In Los Angeles, he matched Jesse Owens’ 1936 feat with four gold medals in the same events -- the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m relay. Lewis’ talent was matched by his longevity. At the 1988 Olympics, he won the 100 meters and long jump. In 1992, he again won the long jump as well as the 4x100m, anchoring the U.S. team to a world record of 37.40.

In 1996, in his final Olympics, Lewis had a dramatic farewell, winning his fourth-consecutive gold medal in the long jump. At age 30, he had one of his greatest achievements, breaking the world 100m record with a time of 9.86 while winning the event at the 1991 World Championships. At that same meet, he had one of his greatest disappointments, losing his long jump streak of 65 consecutive victories to Mike Powell. It was an occasion on which Lewis recorded his longest jump ever -- 29’ 1 1/4” -- while Powell was breaking Bob Beamon’s legendary record with a jump of 29’ 4 1/2”.

During his tenure at the University of Houston, Blackburn has developed many athletes from high school throwers and jumpers into conference champions and nationally-respected athletes.

During the 2020-21 season the Houston Throwers set the tone for the Houston Track & Field team. Under the tutelage of Blackburn, Nora Monie, Mikaila Martin and Nu'uausala Tuilefano became program record holders. Monie shattered the program mark multiple times throughout the season en route to becoming the Drake Relays champion and The American Athletic Conference champion. Tuilefano rewrote a 34-year-old program record in the Shot Put after a stellar performance in the ring at the Texas Invite. Mikaila Martin set the standard for the Cougars in the Hammer Throw, finishing second to her teammate Taylor Scaife at The American Championships who became the first Cougar to take home the title since UH joined the league.

On the men's side, Triston Gibbons won the Shot Put title to give UH a sweep of the event. The Cougars 40 points on the women's side helped the UH throwers outscore the sprints for the first time on the women's side. Martin bounced back from her second-place finish at the conference championships qualifying for the NCAA Championships. She finished 12th in Eugene and earned Second Team All-America honors. Martin continued to find success competing in the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Felipe Valencia anchored the Houston throwers and was a mainstay on the medal stand for the Cougars during the 2017-18 season, with a fourth-place finish in the shot put at The American Indoor Championships and second-place finish in the event at The American Outdoor Championships. Valencia again would pace the Houston throwers during the 2018-19 season earning the shot put title at both The American Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The addition of Triston Gibbons has set the Cougars up for success as the true freshman took second-place in the shot put at the conference meet. Internationally, Valencia represented Mexico and the Cougars at the Mexican National Championships taking second-place in his signature event.

On the women's side Taylor Scaife and Priscilla Adejokun broke records and scored points for the Cougars during both the indoor and outdoors campaigns. Scaife shattered the weight throw record twice during the 2019 season, won the conference indoor title in the weight throw and took third-place in the weight throw at the Indoor NCAA Championships. Adejokun earned a third-place finish in the shot put at the conference outdoor meet and was one of four total throwers to advance to the NCAA West Prelims.

Houston's throw squad posted a strong campaign throughout the 2016-17 season. Houston won its third consecutive American Athletic Conference indoor men's shot put championships when Cameron Cornelius claimed gold in Birmingham, Ala. Cornelius claimed the silver at the outdoor championships, while sophomore Mikaila Martin broke the school record in the hammer throw.

The 2015 season was a stellar year for the Cougar throwers, which saw the school’s men’s hammer throw record fall in the first week of the indoor season. Sophomore Damon Thompson threw 19.10m at the Houston Indoor Opener to set the new school record. From there the Cougars went on to qualify three throwers to the NCAA West Regional including discus thrower Justine Price as well as shot putters Cameron Cornelius and A’Nease Linnear. Blackburn also coached Cornelius to back-to-back individual indoor conference championships in the shot put.

In 2013, he coached Rick Fenton to a record breaking finish. Fenton was the 2013 Conference USA Outdoor Champion in the hammer throw, a NCAA regional qualifer and competed in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw. He is the school record holder in both the hammer and weight throw. Blackburn has coached six All-Americans and 20 C-USA Champions over the past 14 seasons. In addition to coaching, Blackburn has recruited a National Champion, 18 All-Americans and 25 C-USA Champions.

Under Blackburn’s direction, Fenton competed for a spot in the conference championship in the hammer throw and finished in the top 10 during his freshman season. From there, he would improve tremendously, medaling in four conference meets and settling in the top-five of the programs all-time list. During the 2012-13 indoor season, Fenton took second place in the weight throw. Fenton’s 2012-13 performance of 18.68m broke the men’s indoor record. During the outdoor season, the San Clemente, Calif., native claimed gold in the hammer throw at the C-USA Championship and broke the school record with a throw of 65.69m (215’-6”).

Along with Fenton, Blackburn coached John Fortune to his first conference outdoor shot put title and long jumper Isaiah Sweeney to his third title in four years. He has also coached jumper John Horton to a repeat performance in the triple jump at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Horton went on to Nationals to be named to the All-America Second Team.

Blackburn has also coached the women’s indoor weight throw record holder, Emily Nnokwam, who set the record during the 2012-13 indoor season with a throw of 18.99m at the Conference USA meet. Additionally, Blackburn has coached all of the top-five women’s performers in the indoor weight throw at Houston, including Amanda Villanueva, Shayla Bowman and Nicole Benton. He has also helped coach Alicia Perkins and Ngozi Onwumere whom qualified in the long jump during the 2013 outdoor season.

During the 2010-11 season, Chris Carter, one of the best triple jumpers in program history, took home the Conference USA Indoor and Outdoor triple jump championships and an outdoor title in the long jump. Carter went on to qualify in the triple at the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships, where he placed fourth at both meets to earn All-America nods.

The 2009 season was one of the most successful track and field seasons in Cougar history thanks to the leadership of Blackburn. The Cougars had 12 student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Midwestern Regional after standout performances at the Conference USA Championships. Two of those student-athletes advanced to the NCAA Championships.

Carter qualified for the NCAA Championships and finished in the top-10 that season. Thrower and Heptathlete Brittani Williams had a standout performance at NCAA Regionals, placing sixth in the javelin throw to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Williams went on to finish 13th at the Championships with a throw of 48.04m. Houston long jumpers, Ed Turner, Lamar Delaney and Isaiah Sweeney, swept the top-three places at the conference championships. Carter, Turner, Delaney, and Sweeney continued their dominance as all four again placed among the top-seven at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships.

Similar results were to be expected in the triple jump and the Cougars under Blackburn’s tutelage did not disappoint. Chris Carter won the C-USA Outdoor triple jump while two other Cougars placed in the top five. Carter’s title ensured him of the C-USA Male Athlete of the Year award. Shaunda McPherson was the female champion at the C-USA Indoor Championships while Dayo Ogunniyi and Tai’shea Reese finished in fourth and sixth place respectively.

The discus throwers showed their muscle as four Cougars, Matt Dudley, Brandon Hubbard, Andy Tackett and Sidney Flores, locked down four of the top seven places at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. Hubbard was a Regional qualifier and finished 20th at the NCAA Championships. Hubbard was also selected as an All-American Strength and Conditional Athlete of the Year. As a true freshman, Dudley would finish in second-place in the discus and shot put events at the C-USA Indoor Championships. Kierra Pulliam would establish the second longest shotput in Houston history with her throw of 14.95 meters at the Rice All-Comers Meet.

During the 2008 season, Blackburn witnessed a pair of his throwers break school records; as Brandon Hubbard and William Krokey set new benchmarks in the weight throw and the hammer throw. Blackburn also coached a group of talented freshmen jumpers, including Chris Carter, who won the triple jump and Ed Turner, who won the long jump at the conference indoor championships. Turner would garner C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Year.

In 2007, Blackburn coached Brandon Hubbard, James Lee, Ashley Bryant, Quin’shundolyn McPherson and Dayo Ogunniyi. Hubbard set a school record in the hammer during the outdoor season, while Lee earned a C-USA Championship in the discus and qualified for the NCAA Regional Qualifier. He also finished in the top-five in the Houston record books. In her first year as a Cougar, Bryant was an NCAA Qualifier and finished in the top-five of the all-time list in the discus and hammer. McPherson and Ogunniyi were NCAA Regional Qualifiers. Along with qualifying for Regionals, McPherson was named the 2007 C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Year. Blackburn also tutored Houston record holder Amanda Villanueva in 2007. Villanueva set a Cougar record in the weight throw at the 2007 C-USA Indoor Championships with a throw of 61’-1.25”.

In 2006, Blackburn coached Caresir Hamilton to a C-USA Indoor and Outdoor Championship in the triple jump. Hamilton also set a school record in the triple jump with a leap of 43’-4.50”. Jonathan Reeves earned the C-USA Outdoor Championship in the shot put with a throw of 62-3 and was also a conference champion in the discus with a throw of 189-0. Reeves also qualified for the NCAA Championship in the shot put.

Houston Track and Field saw great success in 2005. The program claimed conference titles across the board in men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor championships. Five of Blackburn’s throwers medaled in the indoor and outdoor seasons. Jonathan Reeves would win his first championship in the outdoor discus after transferring from Arkansas, before going on to win a championship again in the 2006 outdoor shot put. Between those two years, Reeves qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships twice, finishing seventh and 11th.In 2005, Blackburn also coached the C-USA runner-up in the men’s shot put and a NCAA qualifier in the men’s discus. He assisted three of the school’s top-five women’s throwers in the eight throw and hammer, including Shayla Bowman, the school record holder in the outdoor hammer throw.

During the 2004 season, Blackburn coached Vincent Marshall to the C-USA Indoor Championship in the triple jump and runner-up at the Outdoor Championships en route to qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

Blackburn began his coaching career after throwing discus for the University of Houston Track and Field team. He won a C-USA conference championship as a competitor for Houston. Due to an injury, Blackburn had to sit out the 1998 season. Blackburn began his coaching career in 2000.

In addition to his coaching duties at the University of Houston, Blackburn has coached the Houston Gold Masters Club. Masters athletes are between the ages of 30 and 85 years old. Blackburn has tutored Linda Douglas, Joe Summerlin and Jean Vander Cruyssen.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Blackburn earned his bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Houston. He was a member of the Dean’s List, C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and he received an endowed athletics scholarship. He received a master’s in Sports Administration and teaches in the Health, Human Performance and Kinesiology Department at Houston.

Blackburn married the former Geri Blankenship of Crosby, Texas in 2004. The couple has three children.

The 2019-20 season saw the emergence of a strong group of Houston pole vaulters, anchored by the addition of Antonio Ruiz. Ruiz easily bypassed the program record in the indoor pole vault, qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the event.

For the first time since the 2007 season, a Houston pole vaulter was named the conference champion in the event. Ben Percefull and Antonio Ruiz closed out the 2020 American Athletic Conference ITF Championships with first and second-place finishes in the event, as the Cougars secured four of the top-five finishes in the event.

Tellez welcome freshman Nathaniel Mechler to Houston in the 2017-18 season, and the Canadian did not disappoint. Mechler claimed the indoor championships in the heptathlon in just his first season on campus, and after a remarkable second day of the decathlon in the outdoor championships, Mechler took home the silver medal in just his second collegiate decathlon.

Tellez helped coach sophomore Jack Thomas to the NCAA West Outdoor Regional in the javelin in 2015. Thomas finished with a career best mark of 69.03m and was the 17th best javelin thrower in the NCAA West Region.

The 2012-13 season was a very successful one for the special events athletes under Coach Tellez. The group ended the season with 12 medalists and five first-place finishes at the Conference USA Championships. Karley King finished first in pole vault at both the indoor and outdoor championships, Megan Frausto topped the competition in the pentathlon, John Horton jumped for first place in triple jump, and Thomas Lang not only placed first in triple jump during the outdoor season, but was an NCAA Qualifier as well.

Under Tellez’ tutelage, a strikingly large number of athletes have achieved high honors in their respective fields. In just the last few years as coach of the multi-events athletes, Tellez helped guide Wesley Bray to a gold medal at the C-USA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon, qualify for the NCAA Championship and break the school record in the heptathlon all within the 2011 indoor season. Tellez also coached Alex Bentley to an NCAA qualifier in pole vault during the 2011 outdoor season.

Since he began coaching Houston’s jumpers, pole vaulters and multi-athletes, Tellez has produced two-time NCAA long jump champion Jenny Adams and an outstanding seven All-Americans including Krystal Ward, Rhian Clarke, Nick Decker, Ifoma Jones, John Davis, Nathan Labus, and Edwina Ammonds. Adams concluded her collegiate career as the 2000 NCAA outdoor long jump champion and 2001 NCAA indoor long jump champion.

Ward began her career with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and won the pentathlon and heptathlon at the C-USA Championships twice in the same year. Clarke had a fifth-place finish in the pole vault at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships after finishing in fourth place at the 2001 NCAA indoor meet, and seventh at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Decker had a sixth-place finish in the high jump at the 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Tellez also coached Jones, a four-time All-American, to a fourth place finish in the heptathlon and in seventh place finishes in the high jump at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Tellez has tutored several C-USA men’s champions, as well as several athletes who earned the title C-USA Athlete of the Year. Tellez has coached a variety of champions in a variety of fields. Towards the beginning of his career, he coached a trio of C-USA women’s champion throwers, in addition to the league’s first pole vault champion, Denise Darre. In 2000, Tellez led Ron Veillon to his third straight C-USA indoor heptathlon championship and later to be the 2003 C-USA decathlon champion.

Before Houston began competing in Conference USA in 1997, Tellez also tutored four Southwest Conference champions.

Tellez attended the University of Houston and ran for the cross country and track teams in 1984-85. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Houston.

Kyle Tellez was born on June 5, 1966, in Fullerton, California. Tellez has two children, son TK and daughter Annie. He is the son of Houston’s Hall of Fame head coach Tom Tellez.