'25 Kenny Bednarek
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- Position:
- Sprints
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- Year:
- 2025
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- Team:
- Men's Track & Field
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- IHCC Years:
- 2018-19
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- Career Highlights:
- 3x NJCAA National Champion • Two-time Olympic Silver Medalist
One of the most decorated individuals to don the Indian Hills logo, two-time Olympic medalist Kenny Bednarek is set to be inducted into the Indian Hills Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday night, the first member of the track & field program to forever be enshrined among the all-time greats.
Bednarek's rise to international stardom on the track began long before his time at Indian Hills, but the three-time national champion elevated his efforts to the international stage during his time with the Warriors. Under the guidance of head coach Brent Ewing, Bednarek put the young Indian Hills Track & Field program on the map, setting the track world ablaze with record-breaking performance after record-breaking performance.
In his lone season with the Warriors, Bednarek starred during the 2018-19 track season. The phenom made his collegiate debut at the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic, setting a then-world leading time of 45.93 in the 400-meter dash. Bednarek hasn't slowed down since.
Bednarek went on to make national and international headlines, winning the 2019 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 400m dash in Pittsburg, KS before taking home the 200m and 400m dash national titles at the 2019 NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Hobbs, NM. In total, Bednarek captured 11 individual titles across the 2018-19 season, never losing an individual race.
Bednarek's performance at the 2019 outdoor championships captivated a global audience by running the fourth-fastest all-time, all-conditions 200m dash in the world with a mark of 19.49. With his dual championships, Bednarek became just the second individual in world history to run a sub-20.0 200m and a sub-45.00 400m dash in the same day.
Since leaving Indian Hills, Bednarek has been at the forefront of track's modern day golden era. Bednarek made his mark on the Olympic stage by capturing a silver medal in the 200m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before cementing himself among the all-time greats in United States history by capturing a second silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Brent Ewing, Indian Hills Track & Field Head Coach, on Bednarek
"When you look at the trajectory of the Indian Hills Track and Field program, you can point to a few landmark events. One of the first being the signing of Kenny Bednarek in the winter of 2018. At that point in time, our program was very young. I was selling myself as a coach and was selling a dream/vision for our program. Kenny left a legacy not just here at Indian Hills, but a legacy for all of junior college track and field. He helped make Indian Hills track and field a program that became known globally and made junior college track and field feel like a more legitimate option for young athletes. What really makes Kenny so special is the way he handles himself. His humbleness, his gratitude. It's unlike most athletes of this generation. I think he's a tremendous role model for all young athletes."
