ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany track and field program and Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Roberto Vives have announced the promotion of Abel Gilet to Associate Head Coach.
 
"Abel loves this program and embodies what it is to be a Great Dane," said Vives. "His commitment, leadership, and deep understanding of our sports have made a tremendous impact on our student-athletes and the winning culture of our program. This promotion reflects his hard work, commitment, and dedication to our student-athletes and the success of UAlbany track & field and cross country."
 
Gilet originally came to UAlbany as a student-athlete in 2013. Upon graduation, he joined the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. After three seasons, Gilet was brought on as the throwing coach for the 2017-18 season and has remained ever since.
 
"I am grateful for the opportunity that Coach Vives has given me, and for the inspiration and support I have received from my fellow coaches and student-athletes," said Gilet. "Coach Vives has created an environment that allows coaches and athletes to develop to their utmost potential and be a part of something bigger than themselves. That energy has resonated throughout the years into the success we have had. It is truly a privilege to give the same opportunities that I was afforded as a UAlbany student-athlete."
 
Since joining the Great Danes' coaching staff , Gilet has produced athletes such as Venique Brown (neé Harris), Jonathan Eustache, Tara Belinsky, Shelby Bigsby, Ludith Campos, Adrian Mitchell, Travis Robinson, and many more.
 
Under Gilet's guidance, Brown set a school record in the discus - 57.94m (190-1) - en route to becoming UAlbany's only female First Team All-American. In the same year (2019), she was named the AE Most Outstanding Field Performer, the USTFCCCA Northeast Region Field Athlete of the Year, and she broke the America East championship meet record.
 
Eustache and Belinsky are two additional athletes who had Gilet as a coach for part of their careers. Eustache claimed four individual America East titles (2x Discus Champion, Hammer Throw Champion, and Weight Throw Champion) between 2016 and 2017. He holds top performances in three disciplines - weight throw, discus, and hammer throw. Belinsky was a three-time America East Champion in the shot put before being named the 2018-19 America East Woman of the Year. She was the first UAlbany woman to record a shot put mark over 50 feet in both indoor and outdoor track and field. Her outdoor best, 16.32m (53-6.5), is a record that still holds today.
 
Shelby Bigsby '24 and Ludith Campos '24 are two of Gilet's most successful women's throwers. Bigsby is a six-time America East Champion in shot put who followed in Belinsky's footsteps to become the second women's shot put thrower to record marks over 50 feet in both indoor and outdoor just a year later. Breaking Belinsky's indoor shot put record with a 15.36m (50-4.75) throw, Bigsby is also second in program history with her outdoor shot put best. Venturing outside of her specialty, she holds top 10 performances in weight throw, discus, and hammer throw. 
 
Campos also holds six individual America East titles in weight throw (three) and hammer throw (three). On two different occasions, she set the AE conference record in the weight throw. She was the 2023 Millrose Games Weight Throw Champion and the 2022 Penn Relays College Division Hammer Throw Champion. Campos broke, and still holds, the weight throw and hammer throw program records before becoming a Second Team All-American with a national championship appearance in 2024. In addition to her competition as a Great Dane, she has been the Dominican National Champion several times. She is the current Dominican national record holder in the hammer throw and weight throw.
 
On the men's side, Adrian Mitchell '22 and Travis Robinson '25 are Gilet's most successful throwers to date. Mitchell is a three-time America East Champion in the javelin. A four-time NCAA East Prelims qualifier, he competed at the NCAA Championship and finished his rookie year as a Second Team All-American. In 2022, he closed out his career as the IC4A Champion and the AE Man of the Year.
 
Robinson is a nine-time America East Champion, holding three discus titles and six shot put titles. In 2022, he was named the America East Outstanding Rookie and Outstanding Field Athlete. Robinson holds the program record in both indoor and outdoor shot put, as well as in the discus throw. Also the conference record holder in discus and indoor shot put, Robinson is a two-time NCAA regional qualifier.
 
Last season, Gilet brought in a women's javelin recruit, Beatriz Mora Herencia. In her rookie season, Mora Herencia broke not only the freshman javelin record, but also the program record. She then went on to win the America East title and qualify for the NCAA East Prelims. At regionals, Mora Herencia earned a trip to nationals, where she was named an All-American for her efforts. She is the second freshman and only female javelin thrower to earn this honor in UAlbany women's track and field history.
 
During the summer of 2025, Gilet coached Frankie Gonzalez (Dominican Republic), Lalenii Grant (Trinidad and Tobago), and Nattaly Lindo (Trinidad and Tobago) to national titles in the shot put, discus, and hammer throw, respectively. All three are the current U20 national record holders in their respective events and countries.
 
Over the six throwing disciplines, Gilet's athletes make up at least half of the top ten performances in program history on both the men's and women's sides. Regarding the women's team, 23 of Gilet's throwers hold 42 of the 60 top ten performances. On the men's side, 17 of Gilet's athletes have combined for 30 top ten performances. Additionally, of the 12 program records (six men and six women), Gilet's throwers account for 10 of them with two record holders still competing for UAlbany (Qualiar Newton - men's weight throw; Mora Herencia - women's javelin). 
 
In over a decade with the Great Danes, Gilet has coached 34 individual America East Champions, 16 NCAA East regional qualifiers, and four NCAA national championship qualifiers with 20 program record breakers and five current America East Conference records.
 
As a student-athlete, Gilet competed for two seasons at UAlbany and was a two-time America East All-Conference thrower and team captain. Gilet holds the program's fourth-best indoor shot put throw, sixth-best outdoor shot put throw, and seventh-best discus throw. He also holds the Haitian national record in discus from his time competing for Haiti. After graduation, he represented Haiti in the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Championships in 2018 and 2022 (held in Toronto Canada and Nassau, Bahamas, respectively) and the Pan American Games in 2019 (held in Lima, Peru). He was a finalist in all three meets.
 
Before becoming a Great Dane, Gilet graduated from Lackawanna Junior College, where he played football. He transferred to UAlbany from Miles College, where he competed on both the football and track and field teams.
 
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