Track & Field | 10/19/2020 10:00:00 AM

WAVERLY, Iowa - The Wartburg College Athletics Hall of Fame Committee announced the class of 2020 inductees in July – Hannah (Baker) Bombei (women's track & field), Dan Hammes (football), Andy Hodge (men's cross country/track & field), Katie (Rapp) Houston (women's soccer) Collin Lane (men's soccer), Dusty Rhodes (wrestling), Matt Scherbring (baseball), Ryan Sturm (wrestling), and Bob Wachholz (football/men's track & field).

Wartburg Sports Information will be taking a closer look into each Wartburg 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees and their accomplishments as a Knight. Next up, Hannah (Baker) Bombei from Keota, Iowa who competed in women's track and field during her time at Wartburg in the late 2000's. 

Hannah (Baker) Bombei, a 12-time Iowa Conference Champion and a 13-time All-American, graduated from Wartburg in 2010 and was a four-year member of the women's track & field team. A member of three national championship squads, Baker rounded out her career by anchoring Wartburg's 1,600-meter relay to a national title. It was her fifth career national title, as she previously ran on championship-winning 1,600-meter relays at the 2007, 2008, and 2009 NCAA outdoor and 2009 NCAA indoor meets. She graduated as the Iowa Conference record holder in the indoor 400-meter dash (56.63 seconds), outdoor 400-meter dash (54.56), and as a member of the indoor 4x200-meter relay (1:41.54). She also holds Wartburg school records in the indoor and outdoor 400-meter dash and as a member of five school-record relays. Baker was also named the Most Valuable Performer at the 2008 IIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships and the 2008 USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year. An accomplished student-athlete on and off the track, Baker was an NCAA post-graduate scholar who graduated with a 3.98 grade-point average, was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-America selection, and was the 2010 IIAC Conference Scholar Female Athlete of the Year. Hannah works at the University of Iowa Medical Center as a Genetic Counselor and lives in Kalona, Iowa with her husband, Taylor, and three sons.

Q & A With Hannah (Baker) Bombei

Q: What was your reaction when you found out you were being inducted to the Hall of Fame?
It was humbling to be included among such decorated Wartburg athletes. As every athlete knows, it takes a village. This Hall of Fame honor is really a reflection on the amazing teammates, coaches, supporters and yes, even competitors that pushed me to work harder, dream bigger and never settle. This honor wouldn't have been possible without them.

Q: What was your most rewarding athletic experience at Wartburg?
When I think about my athletic experiences at Wartburg, there are several moments that come to mind when months of team planning and hard work finally culminate in a successful outcome. Those moments that stand out the most in my mind would include our first 1,600-meter relay outdoor championship in 2007 and winning both the team indoor and outdoor championships in 2009. However, in the grand scheme of things, it isn't the successes during these years that I learned the most from but rather the failures. The races that I lost due to split second lapses in mental toughness, the championships that we came up one point shy and most of all, an injury during my senior year that required hours in the training room and extra practices to return. If you ask me which experiences were most rewarding from a life preparation and growth standpoint, these failures are what helped to shape me more than any success.

Q: Have you kept up with the track and field program since you left?
I have certainly tried. For the first few years after graduation, particularly when I still knew the athletes on the team, I would read the news briefings and send texts back-and-forth to my former teammates. Life has gotten a bit busier with having a full-time career and three little ones. So, I will admit that I haven't been able to follow as much as I would like. However, I do still try to send coach [Marcus] Newsom a text here and there prior to conference or national meets to wish the team luck.

Q: What has life been like for you since leaving Wartburg? 
After graduating from Wartburg, I obtained my master's degree in Medical Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I joined the Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics at the University of Iowa Hospitals in 2012 as a certified genetic counselor in general genetics and have since expanded to Pediatric Cardiology. As part of that position, I coordinate the Regional Genetics Consultation Service for the state of Iowa, which includes six outreach locations across that state. My husband, Taylor, and I were married in 2013 and have since welcomed three very busy little boys into our family.

Q: How has your athletic experience helped you in your working career? 
There are many lessons that are learned as a college athlete that one can apply toward a career. Teamwork, accountability and a strong work ethic are three that easily come to mind. However, perhaps the most important quality that I learned as a college athlete and apply daily both in my career and family life is that of effective time management. Athletes learn quickly how to juggle the workload of classes, practices, outside jobs, volunteer work and still manage time for friends and family. I remember studying on long bus rides to and from meets and fitting in practices at 6 a.m. or 10 p.m. between graduate school interviews. In my career and also in home life, my day can change quickly and college athletics afforded me the skills to easily reprioritize the most important tasks that need to be completed.

Q: Who were some of the people at Wartburg who made your time memorable?
My first college track meet was in Barbados against the Barbadian national team. The night before the meet, coach Newsom met with each athlete individually. I will never forget sitting down with him. The first words out of his mouth were, 'Hannah, you may not know this yet but you will be a national champion'. I hadn't even run my first college race but coach Newsom knew my potential long before I had even contemplated that possibility. He always pushed us to aim higher, work harder, to make good decisions and to be thankful for the opportunity to run. I credit him for instilling that idea that I could become more than what I had envisioned for myself.

Q: What do you miss most about Wartburg and the track and field program? 
The thing I miss the most about the track and field program is the camaraderie amongst the team. We were from different backgrounds, but all were united because of a common goal. We pushed each other to be the best that we could and learned and grew as individuals as a result. I am still in contact with many of my teammates today and enjoy hearing about new and exciting milestones in their lives as well.