Senior sprinter and hurdler Michelle Cates has dominated on the track for the Lions, claiming the 100-meter (16.41) and 400-meter (1:10.31) hurdles conference championships last spring. In addition to her competition on the track, Cates has had to face a silent battle with anemia, a condition in which her body does not produce enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen to her body’s tissues and organs. Despite this chronic disorder, which causes extreme fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath, Cates has excelled on the track and in the classroom, earning Academic All-Conference and collecting accolades on the track and in the classroom.
Senior Michelle Cates balances a full academic load at Piedmont University—studying documentary film production and mass communications—while dominating on the track as a standout student-athlete. Her resilience shines just as brightly off the track as it does when she’s clearing hurdles.
