Barney captures world masters championship

Steve Virgen

When Colleen Barney is alone with her thoughts a competitive spirit

builds. Memories of a broken back come up, yet that serves as a

reminder of what she has been able to do when challenges and

opportunities are presented to her.

Barney, a Newport Beach resident who suffered a broken back in

college 19 years ago, became a world champion after winning the 100

meters (13.03) in the 35-39 age group of the World Masters Athletics

Championships in Puerto Rico on July 5. In a tight race, she finished

slightly ahead of Linda Carty, also of the United States (13.19).

The victory gave Barney peace of mind, relief and vindication. She

also renewed a sprinter’s mentality after winning the world

championship title.

“Not my most stellar performance,” Barney said of her 13.03

finish. “I have ran a 12.8 a couple of times.”

Barney has maintained a method of outdoing herself ever since her

fast times at Oxford High in Michigan. Before graduating in 1984, she

set school records in the 100, 200 and 400. And, in her senior year,

she recorded the fastest times in the state in the 100 (12.1) and 200

(24.9).

Her speed and competitive character resulted in various

scholarship offers, and she chose the place where she could face some

of the best competition in the country: The Pac-10. Barney earned a

full-ride scholarship to compete for Arizona State.

However, during her first semester she broke one of the bones on

her back, also known as a compression fracture. She suffered the

injury after falling while training in the weight room.

“I was doing step-ups on and off the bench and I misplanted,” she

said. “I fell and when I landed [the impact] smashed one of the bones

on my back.”

She actually appeared to be fine after the fall and continued to

run and lift. But that only worsened the injury. She had to wear a

brace for three years and she had to leave her dreams at Arizona

State.

She developed patience and discipline throughout the

rehabilitation. But the pain in her back seemed to never go away. It

lingered for nine years.

“It was hard,” Barney said of her college track career ending.

“Track was the only thing I wanted to do. But, it’s all about what

you make out of things. I took the opportunity and earned my degree.”

Barney moved back to Michigan and lost her scholarship. However,

she regained her strength and went back to school. She eventually

earned a bachelor of science degree in history and philosophy at

Central Michigan in 1990.

Then, she went to law school at the University of Michigan. During

the summer of 1992, she was a law clerk for Leigh Steinberg in

Newport Beach. And, in 1993 she worked with the then-Los Angeles

Rams.

After acquiring her law degree, she became Colleen Barney in

August of 1993 when she married Jonathan.

She was positioning her career toward sports law, but became

involved with tax law after earning her masters degree in law and

taxation at the University of San Diego in 1994.

Two years ago, after having two children, her competitive

character began to come alive again in running. She was searching on

the Internet for a track club that her daughter, Rachel, could join.

While looking she found a Web site that displayed the national

championship times in the masters division for the sprints.

“I saw the times for my age group,” Barney said. “And, I said, ‘I

could do that.’ So, I started training.”

In April of last year, Barney completed her comeback and competed

in the John Ward Games in Santa Ana.

“It was great,” she said. “I loved the training. I loved

everything about it. There’s nervousness to get back into racing and

seeing how slow you have gotten. But it was fun.”

Barney ended her first year of her comeback as a national champion

in the 200 and 400, winning both titles in the 35-39 age group in

Maine. She continued to work out and gain confidence, while preparing

for the world championships in Puerto Rico, where the setting was

similar to the Olympics, she said. Her and her husband spent 10 days

at the meet.

Barney was planning to race in the 200, as well, but after winning

the 100 she wanted to relax.

“My understanding was that it was a good show for the spectators,”

she said of the 100. “But it wasn’t so good for the people running.”

Barney is now preparing for the national championships, which

start Thursday and conclude Aug. 10, in Eugene, Ore. She trains six

days a week, for about three hours a day. Most of the time, she will

run at Corona del Mar High. She plans to compete in the 100 and 200

next week.