An Iowa prep sports perspective on Black History Month
Iowa's high school sports has a rich history
The clock is ticking down the final hours of Black History Month, 2024.
But in my opinion, Black history is a topic that should be shared and enjoyed all year long.
In my 31 years of covering high school sports and other topics for The Des Moines Register, I had the opportunity to celebrate history — both pioneers of Iowa high school sports and stars that have gone on to become chapters of history for the future.
Harrison Barnes, a Des Moines Register High School Male Athlete of the Year, has gone on to NBA fame. (Photo courtesy of the Sacramento Kings.)
Sports and history are both passions of mine. I was a history minor in college.
Working at the Register was a treat. There were old books and files and miles of microfilm in the Register library. I spent hours digging through old photographs that dated back decades.
I wanted to use this opportunity, on February 29, to share a few details about former Iowa high school athletes who are Black. In every case, these athletes made an impact beyond the stadium and gym. I was privileged to have the chance to write about, and in some cases, meet these stars.
Harrison Barnes, Ames
One of the most celebrated athletes of his time, Barnes was named the Des Moines Register’s High School Male Athlete of the Year in 2010. Basketball was his primary sport, but he also was a standout high jumper in track.
Barnes led Ames High School to back-to-back state basketball titles. He played in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Columbus, Ohio — a great assignment, by the way.
He’s currently playing for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. He’s been an Olympic athlete, an entrepreneur and an influence on many Iowans.
Natasha Brown, Des Moines Roosevelt. One of the most dominant track athletes Iowa has produced. Brown (Kaiser-Brown) was a powerful runner who could sprint to Drake Relays and state sprint titles. She went on to run in the Olympics (winning a bronze medal) and has had a long college coaching career. (Photo courtesy University of Missouri Athletics.)
Haley Eckerman, Waterloo East. One of Iowa’s greatest volleyball players, Eckerman starred at East. A powerful hitter who went on to fame at Texas, where she was an All-American and led the Longhorns to an NCAA title. She’s currently coaching at Kent.
Roger Craig, Davenport Central. I attended my first state football championship at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls in 1976, watching Central finish an undefeated season. Who knew I was watching a future NFL star running back? Craig went on to play at Nebraska, and perhaps most notably as a Super Bowl-winning member of the San Francisco 49ers (three times!).
Tavian Banks, Bettendorf. And while we’re discussing Quad Cities football, let’s revisit one of the state’s top two-sport stars. Banks was a record-setting running back for the Bettendorf Bulldogs. He rushed for 250 yards in winning a 1992 championship. Banks was an outstanding soccer player, too. He went on to play football at Iowa.
Lolo Jones, Des Moines Roosevelt and Karlos Kirby, W.D.M. Valley. I placed these two athletes together because of a unique tie they share. Both were track stars who went on to represent the U.S. in bobsledding, too. Jones, a hurdler and sprinter, competed at Louisiana State and often returned to the Drake Relays in her hometown. Kirby competed in the 1992 winter Olympics.
Duke Slater, Clinton. A pioneer in the sport, Slater played at Clinton High School starting in 1913. A star lineman, he went on to play at Iowa, earning All-American honors. He also participated in track. Slater went on to a pro career. The University of Iowa’s football field was named in his honor.
Gene Baker, Davenport. Another pioneer who provides a history lesson through sports. Baker played basketball and ran track in high school, but his future fame was in baseball. He became one of the Chicago Cubs’ first Black players in 1953. In 1960, he won a World Series as a player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1961, Baker became the first Black to serve as a manager for a Major League affiliated team in Batavia, N.Y. In 1963, while serving as a coach for the Pirates, he became the first Black to act as manager of a team during a game when manager Danny Murtaugh was ejected.
A few more names to list: Simon Roberts, Davenport, who was the first Black wrestler to win a state title (1954) and an NCAA crown (1957). Clyde Duncan, Des Moines North, a sprinter supreme who went on to coach in college. Devyn Robinson, Ankeny Centennial, a volleyball star who was an All-American at Wisconsin.
Great column John. May I add a few?
Frank Kinney Holbrook of Tipton, first Black athlete in what is now Division I FBS, led the Iowa Hawkeyes to their first conference football championship, in the 1890s. A running back, he was nearly mauled on the field in a game with Missouri but he and his white Hawkeye teammates fought off the assault.
Aundra Meeks was the first Black head coach to win an Iowa state football championship - in 2004 with Waterloo Columbus, when the Sailors topped Gilbert 41-0 for the Class 2A championship. Coach Meeks is now an assistant at Dowling. He also played at Columbus and was the school's athletics director.
Sasha Hyacinth, also competing for Waterloo Columbus, became the first Black individual state tennis champion in 2021, as a sophomore.
Great roundup, John. Thank you.