Coaching facts as of June 2007

Entering his fifth season at Capital in 2007, Fred has made the Capital University track & field teams an up and coming program in the highly competitive Ohio Athletic Conference.

Since coming to Capital in 2002 he has almost instantly vaulted the track and field program into the upper division of the OAC. He already has coached a two-time OAC Field Athlete of the Year and had NCAA qualifiers in each of the last two seasons.

Prior to coming to Capital, Barends spent nine years at Ohio Wesleyan University, the last five of those as head men’s track and cross country coach. During his tenure, the Bishop men won four consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference indoor championships and three outdoor track championships.

Barends, a USATF Level I and II certified coach, was named NCAC indoor coach of the year four times, outdoor coach of the year three times and was regional coach of the year four times in indoor and three times for outdoor seasons.
During Barends’ tenure on the Bishop track staff, he coached the 2002 NCAA Division III Field Athlete of the Year, 2000 and 2001 national champions in the 400 meters, the 1997 national champion in the 200 meters, along with over 30 NCAC champions and 17 All-Americans.

Prior to his days at Ohio Wesleyan, Barends was at cross-town rival Otterbein College where he spent two years as assistant track coach. Barends began his coaching career at Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) College in 1985, serving as head women’s track coach and also assisting with men’s and women’s cross country and men’s track. Barends has also served as the athletic director and assistant headmaster at Atlantic Friends School as well as the assistant dean of admissions in charge of athletic recruiting and assistant tennis coach at Earlham College.

Barends holds numerous track & field coaching credentials including the beginning of a four year term as the treasurer of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). He just stepped down after nine years as the Great Lakes Regional Representative for the USTFCCCA and is currently the Secretary for the OAC Track & Field coaches.

A longtime Bexley resident and Columbus native, Barends graduated from Kenyon College in 1983. A student-athlete and team captain at Kenyon, he set nine indoor and outdoor records. Barends also holds a master’s degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Barends By the Numbers
Fred Barends coached track teams have produced ...

* 147 conference champions
* 22 All-Americans
* 7 conference team championships
* 4 individual national champions

Information from http://www.capital.edu/internet/default.aspx?pid=5799

Learn about Capital University Athletics

Back to Track & Field Coaches on Coaching Article