Robert Starnes joined the Edgewood College Cross Country and Track & Field coaching staffs in August of 2019 as a graduate assistant for both programs. Starnes brings a strong background as a well decorated athlete in track & field to the Eagles.

Starnes is no stranger to the sport of track and field.  He was two-time WIAA State Champion in high school.  He followed that up by becoming a three-time NCAA Division Track and Field Champion while at UW-Whitewater. Starnes won the national championship in the high jump during the 2015 outdoor season. At the 2016 NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships, Starnes brought back two more national championships, in the high jump and the long jump, which helped him earn the USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Indoor National Field Athlete of the Year Award. Starnes was a five-time All-American during his collegiate years. 

While completing his undergraduate degree, Starnes also found time to coach at Janesville Parker High School.  At Parker, he coached three state qualifiers, all of whom had podium finishes.  Starnes is eager to coach at the college level and help develop student athletes from the inside out.  Starnes graduated with a degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Health and Human Performance and Recreation.  He will be pursuing his Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Change.