Ciara Chic Biography
DuPont High / Riverside
High School / (Class of 2000) Belle, West Virginia
Classification: AAA
Specialty: Sprints
West Virginia
University / Morgantown, West Virginia
Ciara Chic, a native of Rand, West Virginia, is a former All-American sprinter at WVU and professional Pittsburgh Passion running back.
Early Years:
An athlete from an early age, she started running track at age 10 with Capital City Striders youth track & field club in Charleston, West Virginia.
High School
(1998-2000):
Ciara Chic continued running for DuPont High School and then Riverside High School, after the DuPont-East Bank high school consolidation in 1999.
In 1998, Chic Ran for Class AAA Dupont High. She was runner-up in the 200-meter (25.75) and 400-meter (59.07) dashes.
In 1999, DuPont High moved down to Class AA. While competing in the Class AA/A Girls West Virginia High School State Championships, Richwood's Pam Nettles set a blistering pace in the 100-meter trials, running a state record time of 12.29 seconds. During the finals, DuPont's Ciara Chic would hold off a closing Nettles for the victory in 12.51 seconds. In the 400-meter dash, Chic blew away the field with an impressive 58.39 clocking. She finished third with high-point honors with 20 points.
In 2000, Chic would graduate from Class AAA Riverside High with two state records in the 100-meter (12.09 - trials) and the 200-meter (24.74 - trials). Those records remain seventeen years later.
She won the finals in the 100-meters (12.23), 200-meters (25.21) and 400-meters (57.53), while earning the AAA girls high-point honors with 30 points.
During her three years in high school, Chic was a seven-time all-state selection in track & field, a five- time individual state champion, a two-time individual state runner-up, a WV State Meet high-point winner her senior year, and she scored a total of forty-six state meet points during her career.
College:
Chic received a track scholarship to West Virginia University where she studied archaeology and was named an All-American athlete. She earned her All-America honor during her freshman year as a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team, which finished eighth at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Championships. Chic’s 2003 indoor time of 7.54 in the 60-meter dash is still good for third best in the school’s history.
After graduating WVU with a dual-major in archeology and social work, Chic headed to graduate school at Ball State, where she helped coach track while earning her master’s degree.
Afterwards, Chic took an archaeology job in Pittsburgh.
Professional
Football:
One day while at home back in Riverside, Chic saw an ad for the Pittsburgh Passion Women’s Football on TV.
“I told my mom that I wanted to play and that I was going to go try out.” she remembered. “Then when I got back to Pittsburgh, I found out that one of my neighbors actually played for the Passion. So, I met her and tried out the next week.”
She began playing for the Pittsburg Passion on October 2009 as a running back, which she was the leading rusher.
In 2008, the Passion recorded their second consecutive perfect regular season, finishing 8-0, winning the North Atlantic Division title, and defeating the Orlando Mayhem in the Eastern Conference Semifinal. However, they lost the Eastern Conference Championship to the Chicago Force by a score of 8-7, ending their 23-game winning streak that dated back to 2006.
In 2009, the Passion finished 7-1, good for the Eastern Conference wild card spot. However, they lost the Eastern Conference Semifinal to eventual conference champion D.C. Divas 27-17.
In 2010, the Passion finished 4-4, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
For 2011, the Passion joined the Women's Football Alliance. They finished their inaugural regular season with a perfect 8-0 and won the Mid-Atlantic Division title before losing to the Chicago Force in the National Conference quarterfinal game.
In 2014 and 2015 they won the IWFL Championship in Rock Hill, SC. During that time, Chic had contemplated playing her 2015 football season, due to wanting to start a family. She got married to Verquan (Champ) Kimbrough, but decided to come back and play the second half of the 2015 season before retiring.
After playing for the Passion in the IWFL, Chic was inducted into the Pittsburgh Sportsline Hall of Fame in 2015. She went over 1,000 career rushing yards.
Currently, Kimbrough (Chic) works at a settlement service company working with lenders and doubles as an on-call archaeologist and inspector for Cosmos Technologies Inc., located in Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Kimbrough’s have a daughter, Kinsley.
Ciara Chic’s West
Virginia State Meet Performances:
· 1998: 200M - 2nd place – DuPont - 25.75; 400M – 2nd place – DuPont - 59.07 (Class AAA)
· 1999: 100M – 1st place – DuPont - 12.41; 400M – 1st place –DuPont - 58.39 (Class AA/A)
· 2000: 100M – 1st place – Riverside - 12.23 [broke the state record during the trials with a time of 12.09]; 200M – 1st place – Riverside – 25.21 [broke the state record during the trials with a time of 24.74]; 400M – 1st place – Riverside – 57.53; and scored 30 points (Class AAA)
Ciara Chic State
Meet All-Time Lists:
· 2nd All-Time All-Class 100 Meters
· 1st All-Time AAA 100 Meters
· 1st 2000’s AAA 100 Meters
· 2nd All-Time All-Class 200 Meters
· 1st All-Time AAA 200 Meters
· 1st 2000’s AAA 200 Meters
· 5th 2000’s AAA 400 Meters
Other Notable
Alumni Athletes from DuPont High:
· Bobbie Howard NFL Linebacker
· Randy Moss NFL receiver
· Jason Williams NBA Guard
Personal:
· Married to retired boxer Verquan (Champ) Kimbrough
· They have a daughter, Kinsley
· Currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
· Went to DuPont High School / Belle, WV (1998-1999)
· Went to Riverside High School / Belle, West Virginia (2000)
· Studied Sociology & Anthropology at WVU / (Class 2004) Morgantown, West Virginia
· Studied Anthropology at Ball State University / (Class of 2010) Muncie, Indiana
· Was a running back for Pittsburgh Passion
· Sr. Archaeologist/Marketing Coordinator at Cosmos Technologies, Inc.
Submitted by Mike McMillion (06/09/17)
Results courtesy of
RunWV & WVU Sports