UD skating coach Gregory finalist for USOC award

Pam Gregory coaches some of the country’s most promising young skaters, including Kimmie Meissner.

11 a.m., March 25, 2005--The United States Olympic Committee has announced that figure skating coach Pam Gregory of the University of Delaware’s internationally recognized training program is one of five finalists for its USOC Developmental Coach of the Year Award.

The other Developmental Coach of the Year finalists are veteran cycling coach Desmond Dickie, roller sports coach Renee Hildebrand, diving coach Drew Johansen and track and field coach Dwayne Miller.

Gregory is currently coaching some of the most promising young figure skaters in the United States, including 15-year-old Kimmie Meissner, who won the ladies bronze medal at the State Farm U.S. National Figure Skating Championships held in January in Portland, Ore., and 19-year-old Shaun Rogers, who finished sixth in the men’s competition at the national championships.

In finishing third behind champion Michelle Kwan and runner-up Sasha Cohen, Meissner became just the second American ladies competitor in history to complete a triple axel in competition.

Both Meissner and Rogers have been invited to participate in the Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating Challenge, to be held Tuesday, March 29, in Tampa, Fla.

Over the course of the current and last seasons, Gregory’s athletes have represented the United States in 11 international competitions, bringing home two championships, five medals and three other top-five finishes, the USOC noted in announcing the finalists.

Forty-three Olympic and Pan American sports organizations selected their 2004 national, developmental and volunteer coaches of the year as part of the USOC Coach of the Year recognition program. Gregory was named the U.S. Figure Skating Developmental Coach of the Year last summer.

Gregory has been a member of the world-class coaching staff at UD’s Ice Skating Science Development Center for more than a decade. On learning of the U.S. Figure Skating honor last year, she said she owes a special debt of gratitude to Ron Ludington, director of UD’s Ice Skating Science Development Center, for “giving me an opportunity here at the University of Delaware to work with all the young skaters.”

USOC Coach of the Year finalists will be honored during a recognition banquet to be held Sunday, May 1, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

In addition to the developmental coach of the year candidates, the USOC will honor its national team coach of the year candidates, volunteer coach of the year candidates and the winner of the Doc Counsilman Award, which recognizes a coach who utilizes scientific techniques and equipment as an integral part of his or her coaching methods or who has created innovative ways to use sport science.

Article by Neil Thomas
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

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