Shawn Barber, a former standout for the Zips, passed away, the University of Akron Department of Athletics announced on Thursday.
Barber, an Olympian, three-time NCAA champion, and world champion pole vaulter during his time at Akron, passed away on Wednesday at his Kingwood, Texas, home due to health issues. Barber was 29 years old.
According to UA, Barber had been unwell for a while and had fallen ill.
His representative, Paul Doyle, told the Associated Press on Thursday that Shawn was “so much more than simply an amazing athlete; he was such a good-hearted person that always put others before himself.” “Losing such a kind person at such a young age is heartbreaking.”
Former Akron cross country, men’s, and women’s track & field coach Dennis Mitchell called Barber “the kindest person ever” and “very clever” in an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal on Thursday.
Barber, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, placed tenth while representing her country in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. As a member of the Akron track and field team from 2013 to 2015, he won three NCAA Division I pole vault championships.
Barber won the 2014 NCAA Division I indoor championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to become the first male solo national champion in Zips history. After winning the NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor titles in 2015, Barber qualified for the finals of the Sullivan and Bowerman awards by clearing 19-4¾ in Eugene, Oregon, and 18-4½ in Fayetteville, Arkansas, respectively.
In addition to shattering his own collegiate record, his winning clearance on his last try at the 2015 NCAA indoor championships set a standard for the NCAA championship meet that surpassed Jacob Davis’ 1999 record of 19-2¼.
With a score of 19-4¼, Barber defeated Olympic champion and world record holder Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany, Olympic champion and Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie, and Polish athletes Piotr Lisek and Pawel Wojciechowsk to win the 2015 IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China. With a winning leap of 19-¼, he won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, in 2015.
In Reno, Nevada, on January 15, 2016, Barber’s best vault was 19-8¼. The mark is still the record for Canada.
Barber’s brother David, father George, and mother Ann all survive him.
