Hokie ClubDirector of Track and Field and Cross Country, Ben Thomas, announced the addition of Cleopatra Borel to the 2024-2025 coaching staff in September of 2024. Borel will assume the position of assistant coach for throws.
In her first season with the Virginia Tech track & field program (2025), Cleopatra Borel coached individuals to three All-American honors, seven all-time top performances and eight All-ACC honors. Notably, Borel coached Vlad Puchko, the sophomore discus thrower, to First Team All-American honors and a third-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with his program record 63.94m (209'9") throw. Puchko becomes just the second individual in Virginia Tech history to become an All-American in the men's discus and tied Marek Barta for the highest finish at nationals. Puchko finished as the runner-up at the ACC Outdoor Championships, second to only the discus world record holder, Mykolas Alekna. Mariana Pestana also shone under Borel's guidance, collected Second Team All-American honors for her 66.41m (217'10") throw and First Team All-ACC honors for her 66.14m (217'0") throw in her first season of competition in the United States. She stands at No. 4 all-time in Virginia Tech history. Katie Seyfang saw the highest-performing season of her career under Borel, reaching a career-best mark of 16.85m (55'3.5") in the shot put and passing the 16.00m mark in four of her six appearances through the outdoor season. During the indoor season, Borel led Sara Killinen to First Team All-American honors, First Team All-ACC honors, an ACC Performer of the Week selection and a personal-best in the weight throw of 22.76m (74'8.25") for the No. 2 all-time performance in VT history. Barbora Stejfova also elevated her standing as the No. 4 all-time top weight thrower with a personal-best 21.44m (70'4.25") at the Tiger Paw Invitational.
Borel has a highly decorated athletic career, highlighted by her competing for the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic teams in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. She was a finalist in the shot put in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. She was also named the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee Sports Woman of the Year five times. Her personal-best shot put of 19.48m/63-11 still stands as the Trinidad and Tobago national record.
In her most recent role at Texas State, Borel designed and implemented a throw program for multi-event athletes and women's shot put. In her year with the Bobcats, Borel coached Melanie Duron to a 2024 Sun Belt Conference indoor shot put title and helped the team to 19 points with two athletes reaching NCAA First Round qualifying marks. Her coaching also led to personal bests by the men's heptathlon throwers and women's pentathlon throwers in the conference championship meet.
Prior to Texas State, Borel coached two WAC Champions, helped individuals to break the program records in the women's weight throw and women's hammer throw and helped one athlete to an NCAA First Round qualifying mark at UTRGV.
At Morgan State in 2011, Borel founded new training programs for the throws athletes and worked with athletic trainers to creative holistic rehabilitative programs.
As a former Virginia Tech throws coach from 2002-2009, Borel assisted with the coaching responsibilities for multiple NCAA Champions and All-Americans, including Brittany Prior, Ciera Ayangbile, Tamera Burns, Kristin Callan, William Collins and Igor Misljenovic.
In 2016, Borel founded the Cleopatra Borel Foundation to promote youth empowerment through sport and education. Along with her own foundation, Borel has worked with others to establish transitional housing for young women seeking indepedence. She has also served as a mentor in the Women's Institute of Alternative Development and organized the distribution of athletic equipment to local schools in Trinidad and Tobago.
Originally from Plaisance, Mayaro, Trinidad and Tobago, Borel holds a bachelor's degree in Health Psychology from Maryland, a master's of education in Health Promotion from Virginia Tech and a post graduate diploma in sport management from University of the West Indies.