UAH Athletics

Soyini Thompson, a 11-time USTFCCCA South Region Women's Assistant Track Coach of the Year and the seven-time Men's Assistant Coach of the year, joined the Charger coaching staff in 2003 and has established the UAH track & field program as one of the most recognizable in the region.

During the 2016 campaign, Thompson aided in Katelin Barber's third All-American performance in the 60 meter at Indoor Nationals, while Ackiesha Burnett earned All-American at both Indoor and Outdoor Nationals in 60 meter hurdles and 100 meter hurdles, respectively. In total, Thompson coached three Indoor participants (Alex May, Barber and Burnett) and two Outdoor qualifiers (Jacob Rogers, Burnett).

In 2015, Thompson mentored NCAA Indoor and Outdoor All-American Barber (60m, 100m, 4x100m), Burnett (60H, 100H, 4x100), and Eden Williams (4x100m) and Mariah Tolbert (4x100m) while helping Michelle Kruse and Kailey Williams earn National bids during cross country season.
 
Enjoying yet another productive season in 2014, Thompson helped lead the women's track and field team to consecutive Peach Belt Conference Championships, making it two titles in the program's first two seasons as a league member. Katelin Barber earned All-American honors in the 100m dash while freshman Alex May qualified for Nationals and was named PBC Freshman of the Year.

In 2013, Kedeshia Simpson earned All-American honors for her outstanding performance during the indoor season. Simpson, along with the women's 4x100m relay team both qualified for Nationals, while Simpson earned USTFCCCA South Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year.

Thompson also saw both the men's and women's outdoor teams win the 2013 Peach Belt Conference Championship. It was only the first season of conference affiliation in the PBC, but Thompson guided UAH to their first-ever conference championships in program history.

In 2012, Thompson saw Latrice Johnson wrap up her career as one of the most accomplished sprinters in UAH history. Johnson, a three-time Indoor South Region Track Athlete of the Year, became the first multi-All-American in a single season, as she earned honors after finishing eighth in the 60 meters and 200 meters during the indoor season. Junior Kedeshia Simpson also earned All-America Honors in the 60 meters, finishing sixth in her first season as a Lady Charger.
 
Thompson mentored Shuneil Gadson to become the program’s first-ever All-American in 2005 when she finished eighth in the 400 meters. In 2006, sprinter Shana Levett became the program's first indoor All-American after finishing seventh in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships. Levett repeated as an indoor track All-American in 2007, placing eighth in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships in Boston, Mass.
 
The 2010 outdoor season saw the Chargers host the NCAA Division II South Region Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the second straight year, with the UAH women’s squad taking home the team title. The Lady Chargers also claimed the region track title in 2007, 2008 and 2009, while the men won in 2009. Thompson mentored Luke Beck to earn All-America honors at the 2010 outdoor national championships in the pole vault, finishing eighth. In 2011, Johnson earned All-America honors in the 100 meters, while Beck repeated his All-America status in the pole vault.

In total, Thompson's athletes have set over 60 school records. She has coached 23 All-Americans to go along with over 110 NCAA Division II provisional qualifiers, 50 NCAA Division II Championship participants, 250 All-Region recipients and helped guide more than 20 student-athletes to All-Academic honors.
 
A 2003 graduate of Gardner-Webb University, Thompson received a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She was also a standout on the oval, where she was a member of the Runnin’ Bulldogs' track team which posted a top-five finish at the 2000 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. Thompson was an eight-time indoor and outdoor ECAC qualifier, four-time NCAA Division II qualifier, two-time All-Atlantic Sun Conference performer and All-ECAC performer. Thompson was also a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) at Gardner-Webb.
 
Thompson is a graduate of Vere Technical High School in Clarendon, Jamaica. In high school, she received an outstanding performance award for her effort when her team finished second in the 4x400-meter relay at the 1998 Penn Relays. Thompson also captained her team to second-place finishes at the 1998 and 1999 Jamaican Girls Championship.

Soyini is a proud mother of her son, Ajani, who is 11.
 

Coaching Honors
(O=Outdoor T&F  I=Indoor T&F  M=Men  W=Women  XC=Cross Country)

11x USTFCCCA South Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year
 2007 (O) - 2008 (O) - 2009 (O) - 2010 (O) - 2013 (I) - 2013 (O) - 2014 (I) - 2014 (O) - 2015 (I) - 2015 (O) - 2016 (I)

7x USTFCCCA South Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year
 2009 (O) - 2012 (O) - 2013 (I) - 2013 (O) - 2014 (I) - 2015 (I) - 2016 (I)

3x Peach Belt Conference Champion
 2013 (M) - 2013 (W) - 2014 (W)