| Phone: | (657) 278-5488 |
| Email: | bcopper@fullerton.edu |
| College: | Alabama '00 |
| Position: | Assoc. Head Coach (6th season) |
Former U.S. Military Academy coach and University of Alabama hurdler Brandit Copper was appointed an assistant track and field coach at Cal State Fullerton in October of 2007 and she was promoted to associate head coach on July 1, 2011.
She came to Fullerton from West Point, where she worked with the men's intermediate hurdles and the women's sprinters as well as all of the relay teams for two seasons. She previously spent a nine-month stint as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Florida under the tutelage of legendary Head Coach Mike Holloway. She had the great responsibility of working with Holloway’s Olympic Development group; colligate sprinters and hurdlers who finished second at the 2005 NCAA outdoor Championships.
Copper, a 2000 graduate from the University of Alabama, earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies with a minor in telecommunication and films. While a member of the Crimson Tide track and field team, she made the dean's list with a 3.89 GPA in 2000, she was a Scholar Athlete honor roll from the Southeastern Conference 1999-2000. Copper was also named MVP for 1999 and 2000 track season. In her senior year she placed 4th in the 100mh in the SEC, 5th in the 100mh at the NCAA Championships and qualified for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter hurdles. In 1999 Copper placed 3rd in the 100mh and took sixth in the 60-meter hurdles at the 1999 NCAA Indoor Championships. She became a professional athlete qualifying for the World Games and in 2001 was ranked 5th in the world in the 55mh. In 2011 she received a master's degree in Coaching and Athletics Administration in February from Concordia University in Irvine.
Copper attended Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, for two years, picking up an A.A. degree in applied science in June, 1998. She earned NJCAA All-America honors in the 100-meter hurdles, 60-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump and 4x400 meter relay in the 1998 indoor season. She added NJCAA All-America certificates in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump during the 1998 outdoor season for a total of 13 All-American awards.
In Copper's final season at West Point, she mentored her sprinters on a winning streak. Her athletes captured the wins in five different sprint events, one in jump events and two relays. In, all copper has accomplished 9 conference champions, 2 conference relay champions, 13 ECAC qualifiers, 3 ECAC relay qualifiers, eight NCAA regional qualifiers, two NCAA relay qualifiers and four school records.
Copper, entering her sixth season overall with the Titans and second season as the associate head coach, plans to lead the women's sprint program to a high peak performance season with a young squad. In the previous season, the team started the indoor season off on the right foot. After only competing in the 60 meter dash one time, sophomore Ashley Sims broke the record previously held by Ciara Short and Antonia Vega, with a time of 7.65. At the Big West Conference, the team of Krizia Apelar, Ashley Sims, Katie Wilson and freshman Morgan Thompson won the conference title in the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 45.61, continuing a winning streak from 2011. Sims for the first time scored in the 100 meter dash, finishing second with a time of 11.84. Copper and her team had the most success in the 200 meter dash, scoring 17 points with Thompson placing second, Sims placing fourth and Wilson finishing fifth. In the 400 meters, Wilson also finished second and Thompson finished third, adding 14 points for the Lady Titans. Sophomore Jasmyne Davis, recruited hurdler, was transformed into a jumper in the middle of the season due to injury. Davis placed fifth in the triple jump. With the top performance from Thompson earned her the Freshman of the Year award from the Big West conference being the first in school history to achieve this honor. On the men’s side, red shirt junior Bryan Luther and senior Aaron Ray scored seventh and eighth in the men's 200 meters, while freshman Walter Whitaker finished fourth in the men's triple jump and was the highest placing individual in the men's program. The men's 4x100 meter relay team, which consisted of Deandrae Woods, Luther, Ray and Javon May, finished fourth with time of 41.32. The team set a personal best this season with a time of 41.16, the fastest time under Copper in her five year tenure.
Copper is in her fourth season at Cal State Fullerton and again will focus on the sprints, jumps, hurdles and relays for the men and women's programs. As her fourth season passes she has re-written the Titan record books and made history as she led the school's first female sprinter Ciara Short to ever qualify for the NCAA championships. Short, after just missing qualifying for the NCAA regional championships in 2009, advanced all the way to the NCAA semi-finals in 2010 in the 400 and set school records in the 100, 200 and 400. In February of 2011, Short qualified for the U.S.A. Nationals and in March she became the first Titan to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships, running the 400 meters. Short also become the highest CSUF athlete to earn All-American outdoor placing 5th in the 400 meter dash. Lauren Williams, who is also the four-time champion in the 100 meter hurdles in the Big West Conference, placed second at the 2009 NCAA west regional championships with a then personal best of 13.22. Williams and Short was also a part of the winning 4x100 meter relay in 2011 at Big West conference teaming up with Katie Wilson and Ashley Sims. For this is the first school’s first ever conference title in this relay.
In Copper's first season as a Titan she had success in guiding the sprinters and hurdlers to one of their best seasons. In the hurdles, Roberto Archibald defended his title in the 400 meter hurdles with a personal best of 51.66 while freshman Lauren Williams took the 100 meter hurdles in a time of 13.77. On the sprint side of things, Copper qualified two freshmen -- Mike Stoke (10.60) and Jestin Blackmon (10.74) -- to the 100 meter finals and sophomore Lawrence Trice (21.34) in the 200 meter dash. Junior Garette Myers placed third in the 400meter with a personal best of 47.12. Senior Ralynn Devine shattered a 20-year-old school record in the 200 meters after not competing for two years due to a knee plica injury with a time of 24.08 placing her 3rd at the Big West Conference and placing 4th in the 100meter with a time of 11.89. Freshman Ciara Short was runner up in the 400 meters with a personal best of 54.34. She ended the season with two Big West Champions, four All- Big West performers, one All-Big West relay, and three NCAA Regional Qualifiers and three school records.
Copper's parents are Susie Felton-Shaw and Larry Copper. The Philadelphia native has five sisters and one brother and was the first in the family to attend college and graduate. She graduated with honors as a scholar athlete in the top three of her class from William Penn Demonstration High School. She now resides in Fullerton with her son, Brandon Channing Campbell.
Copper has been an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc since 2000.
Accomplishments as a Coach (at CSUF)
*20 Big West Champions
*25 All-Big West Performers
*6 All-Big West Relays
*20 Regional Qualifiers
*4 NCAA Qualifiers
*25 School Records
*2 USA outdoor semi-finalist
*3 Junior outdoor qualifier
*2 Big West Athletes of the Year
*1 All-American scholar-athlete honoree
*1 CSF Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
*2 All-Academic Women’s Track &Field Team
*1Freshman of the Year
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Accomplishments as a Coach (at Army)
*9 Conference Champions
*2 Conference Relay Champions
*13 ECAC Qualifiers
*3 ECAC Relay Qualifiers
*8 NCAA Regional Qualifier
*2 NCAA Relay Regional Qualifier
* 4 School Records
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Accomplishments & Awards as a Student-Athlete
* 13 x All NJCAA from 1997-1998 (Barton County Community
College)
* 2x All American from 1999-2000 (University of Alabama)
* Scholar Athlete honor Roll from the Southeastern Conference
1999-2000
* Dean's List 2000 (University of Alabama)
* MVP 1999-2000 (University of Alabama)
* Ranked 5th in the World in 55 MH in 2001
* Qualifier Olympic Trail in 2000
* Placed 5th NCAA 100mh 2000
* Placed 4th SEC 100 mh 2000
* Placed 3rd SEC 100 mh 1999
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Achievements/Certifications
USATF Level I Coaching Certification
USATF Level II Coaching Certification - Sprints/hurdles/relays
USATF Level II Coaching Certification - Jumps
USATF Level III/ IAAF Academy Certification - Sprints/ Hurdles
CPR/AED Certification
XXI NACACTFCA International Athletics Congress Certification -
October 2011
