Ray Varner, a former Big Ten champion in the 400-meter hurdles at Iowa, is the newest member of the UW-Parkside Cross Country and Track and Field coaching staff.
Varner, a 2010 graduate of the University of Iowa, served as an assistant track coach for the sprints and hurdles during the 2010-11 season at Grand View University in Des Moines. He holds USATF Level I coaching certification.
His Parkside duties will be much the same as at Grand View but will also include recruiting, meet administration, and assisting at cross country meets.
Varner was the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles at the Drake Relays in 2010 and qualified for the NCAA championships while posting a career best of 50.24. He qualified to the NCAA National Championships three times in that event.
A Wadsworth, Ill., native, Varner graduated from Warren Township High School where he was the Illinois State Champion in the 300m hurdles.
