Barnes qualifies for NJCAA indoor nationals

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

OTTUMWA - A 2018 graduate of Fort Madison High School has qualified for the NJCAA national indoor track and field competition.

Elijah Barnes qualified with a throw of 14.85 meters in the shotput Friday at Northwest Missouri State, in Maryville, Mo. Throws of more than 14.6 meters automatically qualify for the indoor championships March 1 and 2 at the Prentice Gudgen Complex at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Barnes qualifed for the throw as part of the Indian Hills Track and Field team, where he received an athletic scholarship after qualifying for state with the Bloodhounds in the discus and shot last year. Indian Hills Community College is a Division 1 junior college squad.

Barnes said he's hoping for a top five finish at nationals.

"My future goals are to get top five at nationals in the shot and disc, and then qualify for nationals in the weight throw and hammer throw. Then after that I hope to transfer to a top D1 track school," Barnes said Sunday afternoon.

He's working towards an associate's degree at Indian Hills and then transfer to a Division 1 school. He said the difference between high school and college is that he doesn't have to take any breaks from training.

"The biggest difference for me is doing track all year around without taking any breaks to transfer to a different sport."

Barnes also qualified for state in the shotput in 2017 as a junior.

FMHS Alumni Elijah Barnes qualified for the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a qualifying throw Friday at at a meet at Northwest Missouri State. Barnes is shown here at the 2018 State Track Meet in Des Moines this sping. PCC file photo.

college, Elijah Barnes, Indoor Nationals NJCAA, Pen City Current, qualifyier, shotput, sports, track

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