Since 1996, the Puma men's and women's cross country teams have combined to win an impressive nine NJCAA National Championships (five women; 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004 & four men: 2004, 2008, 2011, 2022), been runners-up seven times, were 3rd four times, and 4th seven times. Five PVCC student-athletes have captured individual NJCAA National Championships (1997, 2000, 2001, 2023, 2024), and 67 have earned NJCAA All-American honors. The Puma Cross Country teams have claimed a combined 23 NJCAA Region I Championships.
Barney grew up in Arizona and has strong ties to its running community. He was a state cross country and track & field champion, as well as junior college national champion. Following his days as an NCAA All-American athlete at the University of Arkansas, he returned to Arizona. He competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials four times and twice represented the USA in the world championships as a member of the U.S. National Team.
Barney has been named NJCAA Cross Country National Coach of the Year six times (1997, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2018), and was the 2022 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Cross Country Coach of the Year. In 2012, Barney was honored as an inductee into the Arizona Runners Hall of Fame (along with Olympians Jesse Owens, Herman Frazier and Lynn Nelson). Barney was also inducted into the ACCAC Hall of Fame in 2018. Earlier this year, Barney was an Inaugural NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award Recipient.
Congratulations Dave!
To read the NJCAA press release, and see a full list of honorees, click HERE
