Senior Sam Elliott-Barnes is a student-athlete, playing football in the fall and track in the spring. Track is his most accomplished sport, having been All-State last year. As if this year, Elliott-Barnes has only gotten better.

Elliott-Barnes is the fastest sprinter in Illinois in 3 events. Those being the 60m, 200m, and 400m events. And the key to his success, for Elliott-Barnes, is his unique mentality and approach on and off the track.

“I don’t look up to anyone,” Elliott-Barnes said. “What motivates me is seeing the steady improvement I have been making and knowing that my work is starting to pay off”. With the work he has put in all throughout his high school tenure, many D1 colleges are interested.

However, the strides Elliott-Barnes has made off the track are as big as his strides on the track. Elliott-Barnes is in a Riverbend CEO program that helps young up-and-coming entrepreneurs learn about businesses and how to run one. “[Soon] I’ll have a freelance yoga business that I’ll run for athletes that started in my program this year.

Elliott-Barnes also wants to become an airline pilot post-high school. “I’ve wanted to become [an airline pilot] so I can travel the world and gain new experiences.” Although he hasn’t committed anywhere yet, he prefers to go to school out-of-state to colleges in states like Tennessee and Georgia.

All in all, Sam Elliott-Barnes is a man of many talents and accolades, spanning over two high schools and three going on 4 years. However, just like his races, he is not letting up. He’s making his mark in everything he does.