Completed Event: Cross Country at Spider Alumni Open on August 30, 2025 , , 5th of 14
XC
Final
James Madison
at Spider Alumni Open
5th of 14
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Cross Country
McFadden, Pete
Pete McFadden
- Title:
- Head Track & Field Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- mcfaddas@jmu.edu
- Phone:
- 540-568-6544
- Physical Address:
- Convocation Center (895 University Blvd) / MSC 4705
Pete McFadden will enter his third season at JMU as the head track & field coach after being hired on Aug. 3, 2023.
During his time in Lynchburg, the Flames won 37 Big South team championships and 16 ASUN team titles, the men’s squad captured back-to-back IC4A outdoor titles (2007 & 2008) and the Lady Flames earned their first two ECAC indoor crowns (2018 & 2019).
Last season, the talented trio of Isis Brooks, Omari Lewis and Donald McClinton combined to win six ASUN event titles and break program records in four of those events (outdoor women’s 100 – 11.23, outdoor women’s 200 – 23.09, indoor men’s 60 – 6.70 by Lewis and indoor men’s 200 – 20.86 by McClinton).
During Liberty’s 2022 campaign, McFadden guided the Flames’ men’s 4 x 100 relay quartet of Brandon Letts, Donald McClinton, Christian Lyon and Diamantae Griffin. They became the first All-American relay team in program history with a 12th-place NCAA finish in a Liberty and ASUN-record time of 39.08. On the women’s side, Isis Brooks won the ASUN 100 title in a Liberty and conference-record 11.35 and became the first Lady Flame to reach the NCAA women’s 100 quarterfinal round.
McFadden boasts international coaching experience, serving as the USA Team’s head track & field coach for the World University Games in Naples, Italy. He also coached Olympian Alejandro Perlaza Zapata who set both the South American indoor men’s 400 record (46.14) and the Colombian outdoor men’s 400 record (44.86) during his first season with the Flames. Meanwhile, Tanner Ealum raced to the world’s No. 4 women’s 500-meter time of 2018, 1:11.17. At season’s end, McFadden traveled to Perlaza Zapata’s home continent as an assistant coach for the USA team at the inaugural 2018 FISU America Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
McFadden was a standout sprinter for the Flames in the mid to late 90s and held the Big South Championship meet record at 100 meters (10.32) until 2010. In 1996, he led off for Liberty’s victorious 4 x 100-meter relay squad at the IC4A Championship, helping the Flames capture the team title. The quartet ran a time of 39.86 seconds, which stood as the school record for 26 years. In total, he was a six-time All-East selection at 100 meters, 200 meters and in the 4x100-meter relay.
McFadden also excelled on the football field at Liberty. He played for the 1995 Flames who went 8-3 and were ranked No. 19 nationally. That season, McFadden returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged a school-record 37.8 yards per return. His 93-yard punt return against Delaware State is still a school record. At season’s end, he was named a first-team All-American as a return specialist by both the Football Gazette and the Sports Network.
McFadden participated in the Indianapolis Colts’ 1998 preseason training camp but was released just before the team’s last cut. He then spent the 1999 season with the Portland Forest Dragons of the Arena Football League.
While also on staff at Liberty, he worked part-time with troubled youth in Lynchburg as a home-based therapist. He also worked with an inner-city youth group at Power of God Deliverance Church in Lynchburg and founded an organization called Dream Again Life, which teaches children the importance of being educated, while also motivating them to chase after their dreams.
McFadden and his wife, the former Brittany Melvin, were married in July 2022.
The 2024-25 season saw the Dukes’ sprinters and relay teams rewrite the program record book. Holly Mpassy produced a school-record time of 53.23 in the 400-meter dash at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championship and anchored the 4x400-meter relay team that finished in 3:42.53 for bronze. At the world-famous Penn Relays, Kaia Putman, Mpassy, Faith Fuqua and Kyndal Turner produced a school-record time of 45.21 in the 4x100-meter relay.
Also overseeing the pole vaulters and throwers, Erica Moolman broker her school record with a jump of 4.01m (13-1.75) for third at the outdoor league meet, while Ryann Bennett registered a personal-best discus throw of 45.06m (147-10) for seventh.
At the ECAC Indoor Championships, Putman (60m, 200m) and Mpassy (400m) produced podium finishes to help the Dukes tie for second overall as a team. The SBC indoor meet also saw Mpassy finish runner-up in the 400-meter dash, earning her Second Team All-Conference status.
In his first season with the Dukes, McFadden saw sprinters Holly Mpassy and Kaia Putman excel. Mpassy finished fifth in the 400-meter dash at both the Sun Belt Conference indoor and outdoor championships and helped the Dukes record a trio of top-10 program marks in relays: Indoor 4x400-meter relay (5th – 3:46.93), 4x100-meter relay (T-5th – 45.88) and outdoor 4x400-meter relay (6th – 3:44.06).
At the ECAC Indoor Championships, Putman won the 60-meter dash and finished second in the 200-meter dash, and was named Women’s Athlete of the Meet for leading JMU to a runner-up team finish. The 2023-24 season saw her achieve four individual top-10 program marks: 60-meter dash (T-2nd – 7.51), indoor 200-meter dash (3rd – 24.31), 100-meter dash (6th – 11.79) and outdoor 200-meter dash (5th – 24.19).
During his time in Lynchburg, the Flames won 37 Big South team championships and 16 ASUN team titles, the men’s squad captured back-to-back IC4A outdoor titles (2007 & 2008) and the Lady Flames earned their first two ECAC indoor crowns (2018 & 2019).
Last season, the talented trio of Isis Brooks, Omari Lewis and Donald McClinton combined to win six ASUN event titles and break program records in four of those events (outdoor women’s 100 – 11.23, outdoor women’s 200 – 23.09, indoor men’s 60 – 6.70 by Lewis and indoor men’s 200 – 20.86 by McClinton).
During Liberty’s 2022 campaign, McFadden guided the Flames’ men’s 4 x 100 relay quartet of Brandon Letts, Donald McClinton, Christian Lyon and Diamantae Griffin. They became the first All-American relay team in program history with a 12th-place NCAA finish in a Liberty and ASUN-record time of 39.08. On the women’s side, Isis Brooks won the ASUN 100 title in a Liberty and conference-record 11.35 and became the first Lady Flame to reach the NCAA women’s 100 quarterfinal round.
McFadden boasts international coaching experience, serving as the USA Team’s head track & field coach for the World University Games in Naples, Italy. He also coached Olympian Alejandro Perlaza Zapata who set both the South American indoor men’s 400 record (46.14) and the Colombian outdoor men’s 400 record (44.86) during his first season with the Flames. Meanwhile, Tanner Ealum raced to the world’s No. 4 women’s 500-meter time of 2018, 1:11.17. At season’s end, McFadden traveled to Perlaza Zapata’s home continent as an assistant coach for the USA team at the inaugural 2018 FISU America Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
McFadden was a standout sprinter for the Flames in the mid to late 90s and held the Big South Championship meet record at 100 meters (10.32) until 2010. In 1996, he led off for Liberty’s victorious 4 x 100-meter relay squad at the IC4A Championship, helping the Flames capture the team title. The quartet ran a time of 39.86 seconds, which stood as the school record for 26 years. In total, he was a six-time All-East selection at 100 meters, 200 meters and in the 4x100-meter relay.
McFadden also excelled on the football field at Liberty. He played for the 1995 Flames who went 8-3 and were ranked No. 19 nationally. That season, McFadden returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged a school-record 37.8 yards per return. His 93-yard punt return against Delaware State is still a school record. At season’s end, he was named a first-team All-American as a return specialist by both the Football Gazette and the Sports Network.
McFadden participated in the Indianapolis Colts’ 1998 preseason training camp but was released just before the team’s last cut. He then spent the 1999 season with the Portland Forest Dragons of the Arena Football League.
While also on staff at Liberty, he worked part-time with troubled youth in Lynchburg as a home-based therapist. He also worked with an inner-city youth group at Power of God Deliverance Church in Lynchburg and founded an organization called Dream Again Life, which teaches children the importance of being educated, while also motivating them to chase after their dreams.
McFadden and his wife, the former Brittany Melvin, were married in July 2022.
JMU Cross Country | UVA Invitational Hype
Thursday, October 26
Sentara Park | Duenkel Athletic Complex
Saturday, March 11
JMU Cross Country | CAA Tournament Hype
Monday, March 21
JMU Cross Country | Facility Tour
Monday, February 01
