College of Charleston Athletics

One of the longest-tenured coaches at the College of Charleston, Amy Seago is in her 20th season at the helm of the Cougar track and field and cross country programs.

Under Seago's tutelage, Charleston athletes have captured 24 conference titles and have earned nine NCAA regional appearances. Distance runner Dena O'Brien and jumper Emily Smith were five-time Southern Conference champions, and thrower Chakosha Lance took home four SoCon individual titles. 

O'Brien was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer and Most Outstanding Athlete at the SoCon Indoor Meet in 2012 after winning the 3000 and 5000 and finishing second in the mile. Six years earlier, Lance was the SoCon Indoor Most Outstanding Field Performer after winning the weight throw for the third straight year. 

Lance also became the first Cougar to qualify for the NCAA Southeast Regional, competing in the hammer in 2004 and 2006. 

Other top conference honors earned by Cougars during the Seago era include Emily Smith's recognition as the SoCon Indoor Freshman of the Year in 2009, and Jelain McArthur earned the same award for outdoor track and field the following year. 

O'Brien was named to the USTFCCCA All-Region team in 2011, and Alyssa D'Orazio (first team) and Wells Trompeter (second team) were both chosen to CoSIDA Academic All-District teams.

Two more of Seago's athletes – Alexandra Coyle and Carlee Cassidy – qualified for the Canadian Juniors – and Julisa Tindall earned a spot at the prestigious USATF Meet.
Including the aforementioned 22 championships, Cougar athletes have accounted for 60 nods on all-conference teams on the strength of top three finishes at league indoor and outdoor meets and 40 spots on the SoCon All-Freshman teams between 2009-13.

Seago has also seen success with the Cougar cross country teams, most recently with Tess Masselink. Masselink finished second at the CAA Championships in 2018, matching the best finish ever by a Cougar at a conference meet during Seago's tenure, and also earned spots on the all-conference team in 2019 and 2020 (which was competed in Spring 2021). Masselink finished her career as the school record holder in the 6k while ranking second in the 5k. She is also in the Top 10 in five indoor and outdoor track events, including second in the indoor mile and 3000.

In 2015, Cara Butcher took ninth place to gain a spot on the All-CAA team and helped lead the Cougars to fourth place, tied for the program's best-ever finish under Seago. Ashley Arnold finished fifth in 2004 and was the SoCon Freshman of the Year, an award also earned by O'Brien in 2010 when she was all-conference for the first of two straight seasons. 

On the men's side, Seago developed most of the top runners in Charleston history. Every athlete in the Top 10 in the 8K and all but two in the 10K were tutored by Seago, including Mackenzie Johnston, who has held the school record at both distances since 2013. Johnston was fourth at the 2014 CAA Championships and is joined by Adam Seften (2013) and Hayden DiBona (2017) as runners who have earned spots on the All-CAA team.

DiBona concluded his career ranked second in both the 8K and 10K in the Cougar record book. Christian Bailey gained national recognition in 2011 as a third team CoSIDA Academic All-American. 

Seago has been at the forefront of The College creating its own home track facility, and that dream finally became a reality when ground was broken in Mt. Pleasant in 2021. The project is expected to be completed near the beginning of 2022. 

Prior to coming to the College of Charleston, Seago served as the head women's cross country coach and assistant men's and women's track and field coach at Washington & Lee for two years. Under her guidance, the Generals finished second at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships in 2002 and went on to place seventh at the NCAA Southeast Championships. 

Working primarily with the distance runners, Seago coached a conference indoor champion in the mile as well as five other All-ODAC performers.

Seago began her career as a graduate assistant at Pittsburg State in Kansas. She helped coach a team that finished 12th at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in 2000 with two Gorillas earning All-America status and also worked with the NCAA runner-up in the steeplechase. Seago graduated from Pittsburg State with a master's degree in physical education.

Formerly Amy Schuckert, Seago was a track and field All-American at Allegheny College and served two years as a team captain. She earned spots at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on two occasions, was a six-time NCAA qualifier in track and field, set the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) record in the 800 and won 11 titles overall. 

A native of Canton, Ohio, Seago was named the Allegheny Female Athlete of the Year in 1999 and earned her bachelor's degree in English. She was honored in 2004 as a member of the NCAC All-Decade team for both cross country and track and field and was subsequently elected to the Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Seago holds USATF Level II certificates in endurance, throws and jumps. She was named to the Executive Board of the Cooper River Bridge Run in 2016 and is a member of the City of Charleston's Health and Wellness Committee. 

She married George Seago IV in 2008 and they are the parents of daughters Reese, Harper, Laney and Sutton.

Conference Track and Field Champions under Seago
2004 - Chakosha Lance (SoCon Indoor Weight; 16.33m)
2004 - Chakosha Lance (SoCon Outdoor Hammer; 54.23m)
2005 - Chakosha Lance (SoCon Indoor Weight; 18.32m)
2006 - Chakosha Lance (SoCon Indoor Weight; 19.54m)
2009 - Emily Smith (SoCon Indoor High Jump; 1.78m)
2009 - Emily Smith (SoCon Outdoor High Jump; 1.75m)
2010 - Emily Smith (SoCon Indoor High Jump; 1.73m)
2011 - Dena O'Brien (SoCon Indoor 5000m; 16:46.59)
2011 - Dena O'Brien (SoCon Outdoor 5000m; 17:11.52)
2011 - Kristen Wolfe (SoCon Outdoor Steeplechase; 10:42.85)
2012 - Dena O'Brien (SoCon Indoor 3000m; 9:38.11)
2012 - Dena O'Brien (SoCon Indoor 5000m; 16:39.47)
2012 - Emily Smith (SoCon Indoor High Jump; 1.70m)
2012 - Dena O'Brien (SoCon Outdoor 10000m; 35:55.44)
2012 - Kristen Wolfe (SoCon Outdoor Steeplechase; 10:48.26)
2012 - Emily Smith (SoCon Outdoor High Jump; 1.75m)
2012 - Tiffany Sisk (SoCon Outdoor Shot Put; 13.55m)
2013 - Hayley McMahon (SoCon Outdoor 1500m; 4:28.45)
2014 - Tiffany Sisk (CAA Outdoor Shot Put; 14.08m)
2015 - Tiffany Sisk (CAA Outdoor Shot Put; 15.04m)
2015 - Julisa Tindall (CAA Outdoor High Jump; 1.83m)
2016 - Julisa Tindall (CAA Outdoor High Jump; 1.76m)
2023 - Luzy Lieger (CAA Indoor Pole Vault; 3.80m; CAA Outdoor Pole Vault; 4.10m)