7/01/08

Michael T. Petty, DC, team chiropractor for the Tennessee men's athletic department, has been selected to serve a second time as a team physician for the US Track and Field Olympic Team Trials. Petty also was selected as a team doctor in 2004 when the Trials were held in Sacramento, Calif. The 2008 Olympic Team Trials will be held at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene from June 27-July 6.

Petty received his pre-med training at the University of Tennessee and graduated valedictorian of his class from Life Chiropractic College in 1986. He began his association with the athletics department in 1996 when he began working with the football team by helping Jeff Hall return to his kicking duties after a back injury. Petty has served the football team ever since, including the SEC championship season of 1997 and the 1998 SEC and national championship season.

Petty added Tennessee track and field responsibilities in 1999 when he accompanied the Volunteers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Boise, Idaho. That year then-collegiate-record-holder Tom Pappas captured the NCAA decathlon title. Petty's association with the track and field team has been fruitful. Since 1999, Petty has worked with several Tennessee individual NCAA champions, including Pappas, Justin Gatlin, Leonard Scott, Gary Kikaya, Stephen Harris, Jabari Greer, Aries Merritt and, most recently, Rubin Williams. Additionally, Petty has been on site as an integral member of the Tennessee training staff taking care of the Vols as they earned the 2001 outdoor and 2002 indoor national titles. The Vols also have claimed SEC outdoor team titles under Petty's care in 2001, 2002, and 2007.