After many years without a track and field program, Topeka native Cameron Babb was selected to revive the long lost team which last competed in 1982.

As a successful student-athlete and coach, Babb was hired to lead the team in the 2016-2017 school year. So who is the new coach roaming Washburn’s campus this year?

Babb, a great athlete at a young age, grew up attending nearby Santa Fe Trail High School. Excelling at track and field, Babb went on to run for Emporia State University. Babb earned a name for himself as not only an impressive athlete, but a leader as well, and after graduation accepted a coaching position at the school he once competed for.

After two years helping runners improve, Babb took his knowledge to Overland Park, Kansas, coaching at Blue Valley North High School. He then left the Sunflower State and moved on to South Carolina to Limestone College. After earning multiple Coach of the Year awards in his division, according to West Texas A&M, Babb accepted an assistant coach position at WTAMU.

Babb used his knowledge and experience to lead the Buffaloes to their first Men’s Conference Carolinas Outdoor Team Championship in 2013.

Coach Babb then moved into his new role as assistant coach at West Texas, helping coach seven All-Americans, primarily in jumping events. After a year, Babb threw his application among 64 others to be selected as Ichabods head coach according to “wusports.com”.

Babb was selected after a long, grueling process because of his knowledge and pre-existing link with the area he once called home.

“For me, there’s nothing better, this is a dream for me”, said Babb when asked how he felt about returning to Topeka.

The team will not compete until the 2016-2017 season, giving Coach Babb plenty of time to recruit and plan out the coming spring events.

“I’m definitely excited about it, I think the community as a whole has some excitement, some newness to it, I think it’s gonna be fun getting to know the athletes and the parents around the area.”

Babb plans to spend the months ahead meeting with local schools and parents about possible athletes coming to Washburn to compete.