The budding cross country/track & field programs at Pratt Community College have added yet another accomplished coach to its ranks, hiring Amberly Melendez as an assistant. A former North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) U23 silver medalist, Melendez will assist with recruiting, sport psychology, nutrition, and coaching mid-distance and distance runners.

Melendez, a current professional athlete, qualified for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 USA Championships, 2020 US Olympic Trials, and has represented Team USA on six national teams including the World Race Walk Championships (Shanghai, China), Pan-American Cup (Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico) and NACAC U23 Championships (Queretaro, Mexico).

Melendez had a standout career at Cardinal Stritch University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and Northwest University (Kirkland, Washington). While with the Stritch Wolves, the All-American athlete was an Indoor/Outdoor National Qualifier, third place national finisher, and set five school records. As a Northwest Eagle, Amberly was an Indoor/Outdoor/Cross Country national championship qualifier with a national indoor/outdoor runner-up finish and helped lead her cross country team to the NAIA National Cross Country Championships. She also set three school records at Northwest University, and was a two-time All-American.

As a student of PSJA Thomas Jefferson Early College High School (Pharr, Texas) under the late A.C. Jaime, a racewalking pioneer, Melendez was a multiple-time Junior Olympic National Champion and USA Junior National Qualifier.

Amberly resides in Pratt and has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northwest University. She boasts personal bests in the Race Walk with 23:25 (5k), 47:54 (10k), and 1:39:17 (20k).