Ottumwa, IA – Former Indian Hills Track & Field standout Elijah Barnes has been named the program's Assistant Coach. Barnes will oversee the Warriors' throws program.
Barnes, who competed for the Warriors under current head coach Brent Ewing during the 2018-19 campaign, returns to Indian Hills after a standout career for the University of Iowa Track & Field program.
"I am beyond excited to come back to the place where I started my collegiate career," stated Barnes. "This is a great opportunity for myself to give back to the program and help expand upon the current success of the track team by developing the throws program. I believe that there wasn't a better position for me to take following my collegiate career. I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches in the country, and I am eager to put that knowledge to use here at Indian Hills."
During the 2019 track and field season, Barnes etched his name into the record books, including a school record that still stands today. A three-time All-American, Barnes owns the outdoor discus school record with a mark of 55.03 meters and ranks second all-time in both the indoor and outdoor shot put events.
Barnes placed fourth overall in the outdoor discus event at the 2019 national meet and finished fifth overall in the outdoor shot put in Hobbs, NM. Barnes also placed sixth in the nation in the indoor shot put.
Barnes completed his collegiate career at Iowa where he ranks in the top-10 in school history in both the indoor and outdoor shot put events. Barnes owns the top marks on the team for the 2022-23 season in both the indoor and outdoor shot put events. Barnes' top mark in the outdoor season came at the NCAA DI Track & Field West Prelims.
"It was evident during the coaching search that Elijah was the best candidate for this position," stated Ewing. "Honest, hard work is a core value of this program – you'll be hard pressed to find someone else who brings the same level of effort and energy to everything that Elijah does. I'm always looking for ways to for this program to evolve and get better. Having our first full-time throws coach will create a new look for our program and I fully anticipate that having Elijah lead our throws will result in newfound success for Indian Hills Track & Field."
Barnes has previously served as an assistant coach with the Iowa City High School Track & Field program and an assistant throws coach at Iowa. Barnes also served a summer athletic director internship at Iowa City Regina.
A native of Fort Madison, IA, Barnes received his bachelor's degree in Sport and Recreation Management/Focus in Coaching from the University of Iowa with a certificate in Insterscholastic Athletic and Activities.