Buena Vista University

Robert Rands joins the Buena Vista University athletic coachingstaff in the fall of 2012 and will begin duties as an assistantcoach for both the cross country and track and field teams. He spent last season as an assistant track and field coach atMidland University (Neb.), working primarily with the jumps.

Rands competed collegiately at the University of Nebraska(Lincoln) where he competed for three years.  He was athree-time top-10 finisher at the Big 12 Championships, earning acareer-best fourth-place finish at the indoor meet as a sophomorewith a leap of 24’ 10.5”.  He placed fifth a yearearlier at the outdoor meet was ninth as a junior during the indoormeet.  In addition to the long jump, he also competed in thetriple jump as a sophomore and junior, posting a personal-best leapof 46’ 2-75” in 2007.  His personal-best jump inthe long jump is 25' 1" and he also holds a personal best clockingof 7.07 seconds in the 60 meter dash.

Prior to his stint at Nebraska, Rands was a U.S. Junior LongJump Champion during high school, posting a winning mark of24’ 7”.  He followed that up with a win at the PanAmerican Junior Championships.  In 2005, he broke thestate’s oldest high school state meet record when he wonall-class gold medal in the long jump with a leap of 24’11.25”. The mark was previously set in 1961 by current NFLHall of Famer, Gayle Sayers (24’ 10.5”).

A sociology major, Rands went on to serve as a student assistantwith the Huskers (2008-10) and has also had stints as coach of theBellevue Breeze Track Club and at Lincoln Lutheran High School.