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Antonio Pettigrew enters his third season as an assistant coach at North Carolina, where he leads the Tar Heel sprinters, hurdlers and relay teams. A year ago Pettigrew saw the emergence of freshman LaToya James who finished fourth in the nation in the 400-meter hurdles as she set a new Carolina record in the event and earned All-America status. Pettigrew watched over eight regional or provisional qualifiers during the 2008 season and helped guide a trio of relay teams to regional marks. Pettigrew was an integral part of the UNC coaching staff in his first year in Chapel Hill as he helped coach eight NCAA regional qualifiers, an ACC Champion 4x400 men's relay team and an American record-setting and indoor national champion DMR relay squad. Sprinter Reggie Berry excelled under Pettigrew's tutelage as he qualified for the NCAA 400m hurdles a year ago. A pair of relay squads also performed well in Pettigrew's first season as the women's 4x100 outdoor relay team qualified for the regional, but the real accomplishment came during the indoor season when the reigning NCAA Indoor DMR relay national champion squad improved upon their time and set a new American record for the second consecutive national championship. Pettigrew comes to Carolina from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, where he spent the last three years as director of cross country and track and field. Under Pettigrew, Cardinal Gibbons won state championships in both boys and girls track and field and boys and girls cross country. Prior to 2003, Pettigrew spent three years as an assistant at his alma mater St. Augustine's. During his time at St. Augustine's, Pettigrew coached 30 All-America performers and helped lead the men to an NCAA title in 1996 and the women to an NCAA championship a year later. Pettigrew spent his collegiate days competing at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C. - where he earned his degree in 1993 - and was a 10-time All-America performer and four-time Division II NCAA Champion in the 400 meters. He and his wife Cassandra have a son, Antonio Pettigrew, Jr. |
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