“No Pain, No Gain:” Iowa Track & Field’s Ethan Holmes

Iowa Track & Field

Ethan Holmes 

Ever heard the phrase “No Pain, No Gain?” Seems like it could be the motto for the Iowa Hawkeyes Track & Field Team. It could also be the motto for one of its biggest stars.

Hurdler Ethan Holmes from Clinton, IA has gone through the ups and downs of being an athlete at Iowa. Struggles during Ethan's freshman year were due to injury and soreness that he later found out was caused by a stress fracture in his hip.

5 to 6 days a week with rehab, painful workouts that he hated, and sacrificing all that he could to get back was what Ethan knew he had to do. At one point, he was so fed up with the workouts, he never thought he would be healthy again.

“My trainer Terry helped me work out and get me healthy,” Ethan said. “It was painful and a lot of sacrifice but it got me to where I am today.”

Since that time Ethan has been on a mission. This year he was named Second-Team All Big-Ten as a part of the Men's 1,600 Meter relay team. In May at the Big Ten Championships, Holmes placed 2nd in the 110m hurdles, 2nd in the 400m hurdles and the 1,600 meter relay team placed 2nd as well, which for the meet was the clinching race. Iowa won its first Big Ten Title in 44 years.

Because of his Big Ten performance Ethan qualified to compete in the NCAA West Regional in Eugene, OR. Holmes was excited to compete in Eugene, but it wasn't exactly the best trip. The Hawkeyes were delayed in the Dallas-Ft, Worth Airport for almost 20 hours after flights kept being delayed.

“It was definitely a mental and physical block,” Holmes said. “There were 15, 16 of us sleeping on cots and lounging around just waiting for a plane.”

The Hawkeyes flew from Cedar Rapids to Dallas to Portland. Then drove from Portland to Eugene, arriving only hours before they were scheduled to run.

In his first time in Eugene, although the weather was not ideal for running, Holmes qualified in his three events for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines.

“I remember after I ran the first 400m hurdles that I passed out and slept,” Holmes said. “The next day I ran the 110m hurdles in the morning and knowing I had qualified for that helped with the 400m quarterfinal later that day.”

In this week's NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Holmes will be competing in three different events (110m hurdles, 400 hurdles and 1,600-meter relay).

Ethan Holmes 

“I'm excited to run in Des Moines, I ran there in high school and they always show love for the Hawkeyes, ” Holmes said. They ask for autographs and they know your name, it's great to hear them cheer loud for us.”

Expectations for Holmes are relatively high. But he is just hoping for his best.

“I'm looking for personal bests,” said Holmes. I'm going to need a personal best to be able to make a final. If I go out there and run a personal best and still get beat, there is nothing I can do about that.”

The NCAA Championships start on June 8th at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA.

Joseph Larsen