A native of Central Islip, NY, Dawn Ellerbe is a former track and field athlete who specialized in the hammer throw. She is a member of the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame and is on the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Midlands in Columbia. As a USC student-athlete, Ellerbe was a four-time NCAA champion, six-time All-American and five-time SEC champion. She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism in 1996. Ellerbe is a five-time USA Indoor champion (1996, 1998–2001) and six-time USA Outdoor champion in the hammer throw (1995–2001). Ellerbe also claimed the gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. Ellerbe represented the USA in the 2000 Summer Olympics and finished in 7th place in the women's hammer competition with 66.80 meters. As a member of USA National team, she participated in the 1997 Universiade Games in Catania, Italy, the 1998 Goodwill Games in Uniondale, NY, the Universiade Games in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, the World Championships in Seville, Spain; the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada, the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia, the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and the World Championships in Paris, France. Ellerbe, who is in her 10th year with California State University Northridge Athletics as the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing, Branding and Fan Development, received a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis on advertising and public relations from the University of South Carolina in 1996. She completed her master's degree in communication at the University of Wyoming in 2001.
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