Ray Added to Track and Field Staff

Former Big Ten Champion Chantel Ray has been named the newest addition to the Syracuse Track and Field coaching staff.
Ray, a Hampton, Va. native, joins the Orange from Southern Illinois University where she was the Assistant Coach and Director of Operations for the track and field team. Her primary area of work at ‘Cuse will be working under Associate Head Coach Dave Hegland with the sprinters and hurdlers.

“I’m excited to be joining Coach Hegland and the rest of the staff at Syracuse,” Ray said. “From being a former student-athlete and now young professional, I’m ready to get to work and help the program be one of the top schools on and off the track”

During her time as a Saluki, Ray was involved in all phases of the day-to-day operations of the track and field office. Her responsibilities included making travel arrangements, scheduling, meet management, serving as a liaison with academics and assisting with alumni and community service events.

“Chantel is a tremendously valuable addition to our staff,” Hegland said. “She has learned under fantastic coaches at Ohio State and Southern Illinois, and has quickly developed an outstanding reputation in our profession. Our student-athletes will benefit greatly from Chantel’s experience and mentorship, both on and off the track. We’re thankful she’s chosen to join us, and are excited to welcome her to Syracuse.”

On the track, she coached SIU to finish near the top of the Missouri Valley Conference in all three seasons with the program. Both the men and women’s programs were runner-ups at the MVC indoor meet in 2020, the women also finished second in both the indoor and outdoor meets in 2021, and again at the MVC indoor championships last season.

Prior to assisting at Southern Illinois, Ray earned her degree in sport industry from The Ohio State University, while also being a Big Ten Champion on the track. As a Buckeye, she was a four-year letterwinner and as a senior qualified for the outdoor national meet in the 100m hurdles. Earlier her senior year, she became the first female Ohio State runner in six years to win the 60m hurdles at the 2018 Big Ten Indoor Championships.