Few schools in Iowa can keep up with Ames High’s exceptional track record. Amassing a collection of 20 state championships and numerous conference championships over the past century, the boys track and field program has historically been a powerhouse. However, the program has failed to win a state championship for over a decade. New head coach Ben Duea hopes to change that and return the program to its tradition of excellence.

Coach Duea hails from a long line of Iowa hall of fame track and field coaches, stretching all the way back to his great-grandfather. His grandfather, Jim Duea Sr., led Ames High girls track and field to 5 outdoor championships in over 20 years of coaching.

His father is currently the athletic director at Waukee, the high school that Ben Duea attended a few short years ago.

Though just 23 years of age, coach Duea has prior coaching experience, having previously coached cross country at Dallas Center-Grimes as well as basketball and track at Waukee. He brings this experience as well as all that he’s learned from his own knowledge as a state champion in the 4×800 meter relay, and combines them to create a coaching style that emphasizes tradition and decorum. Uniforms are kept in tip-top condition, practices are run efficiently, and batons are protected in a rolling storage box that resembles a small armored truck.

Only time can tell us what the legacy of the newest reiteration of Duea will be, how many championships and records the team will attain under his leadership. But after months of discussing legacies and expectations, coach is ready to stop the chatter, and just Duea it.

An interview with Coach Duea can be found on youtube in the March broadcast of AHS Shout.