Independence CC

A graduate of Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Ryan Koontz actually came to Independence Community College to play basketball but quickly became a standout in the sport of track and field. A two-state state champion in the 110 high hurdles in high school, Koontz went on to record a score of 6,497 points to capture the NJCAA outdoor championship in the decathlon and was named All-American. During the national meet, he also set a national record in the decathlon high jump with a leap of 7-1 3/4. After just one year at ICC, Koontz moved on to NCAA Division I Clemson University, where he was a six-time NCAA qualifier and five-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference in the heptathlon and decathlon. He earned All-American his junior year in the decathlon and became the school’s record holder in the heptathlon his senior year to earn his second All-American honor with the Tigers. He was also an NSCA Strength and Conditioning All-American his senior campaign. He has been serving as a professional fitness and trainer and coach in recent years, including defensive coordinator for the Kansas Koyotes indoor football team. Koontz is the founder and owner of Every Day Fitness and Sports Performance in Topeka and co-owner of Life Bridge, a service agency for adults with disabilities that he runs with his wife, Erica.