The Lehman College athletic department announced today that former standout student-athlete and two-time All-American Pete Charles has been an Assistant Coach for the Lehman College cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field teams. The addition of Charles to Head Coach Lesleigh Hogg's coaching staff will have a tremendous impact on the development and progression of all of Coach Hogg's student-athletes in the upcoming academic year.

“Pete Charles is an individual who sacrificed a lot and worked extremely hard to accomplish the things he did while competing at Lehman College, and now he has an opportunity to further his legacy here at the college by guiding and providing knowledge to our student-athletes of six teams here in 2009-2010,” Hogg said. “He knows what it takes to win and how important preparation and practice are. I am very glad that he has joined our staff.”

To say Charles has accomplished quite a bit during his three-year stint on the cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams would be an understatement. This past athletic year, he was named the Lehman College Male Athlete of the Year while being named the MVP of both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons by Coach Hogg. His contributions in the CUNYAC indoor and outdoor championship meets were crucial, as he helped lead both teams to CUNYAC titles. He was named CUNYAC MVP of the indoor season, and shortly thereafter, at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, he reached All-American status in the triple jump event, finishing sixth with a leap of 14.35m. Then, at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Marietta College in Ohio, he recorded a leap of 15.25 in the event, placing him second overall and setting a new Lehman College record for that event in the process. Charles spoke about the opportunity to stay involved as an assistant.

“This is a great opportunity for me, and I'm very thankful for the chance to continue to contribute for these programs, only this time from a guidance perspective,” Charles said. “So many of these student-athletes have potential to succeed, and if I can help them take small steps in getting to that next level, then I feel like I've done my job.”

Charles dominated the City University of New York Athletic Conference over the years, specializing and excelling in the triple jump and long jump events.