Ames (Athlete) 2010
Brett Carney was successful at any distance he ran and in any venue he participated. He had great success in individual events throughout his career, but it seemed that if Brett Carney had a baton in his hand, he could find that extra gear that track coaches like to talk about.
During his career at Ames High School and his All American career at Iowa State, many of Brett’s highlights were running relays on Drakes blue oval. He ran on winning sprint medley, 4×8, distance medley, and 4 x 1600 relays there during his career.
But the 4 x 1600 Drake Relays victory for the Cyclones in 1989 stands out. Brett was cooling down, from a race that finished just 40 minutes earlier, when Coach Bill Bergan told him someone was sick, and he was about to make his competitive mile debut, in a loaded field, headlined by a foursome of All Americans from LSU that was going to go after the Drake Relays record. Brett was going to run 3rd and Cyclone All American Jon Nuttal would anchor. Carney took the baton about 5 meters back of the LSU runner, who was an All American at 1500 meters. The plan was to close the gap, run a stride off the pace and throw it down with 200 to go, if there was anything left in the tank. The plan worked to perfection. Brett blew past the LSU runner, the crowd exploded and his 3:58 split gave the Cyclones a 25 meter lead. Nuttal took the baton and sealed the deal.
In a post race interview, Brett said, “when they announced my split, I couldn’t believe it. I was just trying to keep up with LSU and ended up running the race of my life.”
You see, Brett Carney could run anything and run it well. But the 800 was his bread and butter. He finished 3rd in the state meet as a sophomore in 1985. Won the 800 and ran on the winning 4×800 as a junior, then proved he was one of the best ever during his senior year. During his final high school campaign, he was named the Drake Relays Outstanding High School performer; At state, he won his second 800 title, led the sprint medley relay to a state title with his 1:50.4 leg; and his 1:50.2 anchor led the Little Cyclones 4 x 800 team to a victory in 7:44.06, which 23 years later, still stands as the states all time best. He also helped Ames win two state team titles during his 4 years, and still hold 3 school records.
After an outstanding career at Ames High, Brett moved across town, to the Iowa State campus, to write another chapter in his life. One as a 6 time Big 12 Champion and a 2 time All American, all in the 800. During this award winning time in his life, the Cyclones were 6 time Big 12 team champions.
If we were to pick out a year that identifies Brett’s career, it would be 1988-89. In the fall he was a member of the NCAA Champion Cross Country team. During track he was the Big 12 indoor and outdoor 800 champion. The Cyclones won the Big 12 indoor and outdoor team titles. He was both an indoor and outdoor All American in the 800. He finished 8th in the 800 at the USA National Outdoor Championships and he ran on the winning 4 x 8, 4 x 1600 and Distance Medley relays at Drake.
Brett is still a part of 6 Iowa State records. That 3:58 is the schools fastest 4 x 1 mile split; he ran on the record setting Distance Medley and it was with that bread and butter distance that he set school marks in both the indoor and outdoor 800 meter run and indoor and outdoor 4 x 800 relay.
After graduating from Iowa State, Brett had a successful coaching career at Johnson County Community College, Missouri Valley College and Buena Vista University.
He is married to his lovely wife Tabitha and has 2 sons and a daughter.
Brett is back in Ames, coaching at his high school alma mater and working with his former collegiate coach, and fellow Hall of Famer Bill Bergan at Championship Productions.