Iowa City Today

Justin Austin, a former standout sprinter for the Iowa Hawkeyes, credits his success to the support system he found at the University of Iowa. After beginning his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky, Austin transferred to Iowa to be closer to his family.

“I wanted to be closer to home — be closer to my son,” Austin said. “It was down to Wisconsin and Iowa. I knew nothing about Iowa, but I knew about Coach (Joey) Woody. We connected when we met, and that’s how I ended up at Iowa.”

During his time with the Hawkeyes, Austin became a five-time All-American and earned several honors in Big Ten competition. He was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year in both 2011 and 2013 and won Big Ten Athlete of the Outdoor Championships those same years. He became the first Hawkeye athlete to win both awards twice.

Austin played a key role in helping Iowa secure a Big Ten championship during his first year on the team, an accomplishment he considers one of his proudest moments.

“I think the key to my success was just the circle that they put around me,” Austin said. “The coaches put together an amazing group.”

He also noted that his experiences at Iowa helped him develop resilience beyond athletics.

“I feel like no matter what’s going on, no matter what situation you put me in, I feel like I can always put myself somewhere to succeed, and then mix with the best of everybody,” he said.

Now being inducted into the UI Athletics Hall of Fame, Austin expressed gratitude for being recognized among other distinguished athletes from the university.

“It’s just nice to know that I’ll be remembered,” he said.

Austin graduated holding five school records: indoor 60-meters and 200-meters; outdoor 100-meters, 200-meters, and as part of the 4x100-meter relay team. He was also a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and earned multiple weekly conference honors throughout his collegiate career.