Brandon Elwood

Brandon Elwood - Waterloo High School – Class of 1998

Athletic Hall of Fame Induction 2019

Brandon Elwood was a multi-sport star for the Waterloo Panthers in the late 1990s.  He earned two letters in football, four in basketball, and four in track during his high school career. Although basketball was his favorite sport, his greatest athletic accomplishments took place on the red oval at Burke Stadium. Brandon qualified for the state track meet in many events throughout his high school career, but placed 5^th in the 400 meter run and won the 800 meter championship his senior year. In describing this memorable moment, Brandon stated, “I had the top 800 meter time in the state my whole senior year, but our district meet was run on a horrible weather day. I qualified but my time was not great so I had to run in the slow heat at the state meet.  Since I didn’t have many other elite runners to compete against, I had to focus on running my race and really just competing with the clock. I led the race wire-to-wire and set a personal best, but I still had to watch the next heat to find out if I won. It was the longest two minutes of my life but ultimately, I had the best time and won the championship!” During his senior year, Brandon set Waterloo Track records in the 400 meter (51.1 seconds) and 800 meter (1:58 seconds) runs. Former Waterloo Track coach Gib Hall described Brandon as an athlete that was always willing to sacrifice and work hard in events he didn’t enjoy;  particularly the 800 meter run. “His attitude, toughness, and ability were great assets to our track team throughout his high school career. Brandon definitely earned his 800 meter state championship medal!”

Brandon was also an All-State basketball player in his junior and senior seasons for the Panthers. His career scoring highlights include a 37-point outburst in a victory against Cedar Bluffs and a 28-point night against Louisville. Former Waterloo basketball coach Ron Michael said, “Brandon was the hardest working and most coachable player I ever had. He was not only a gifted athlete, but he was also a great leader, both vocally and by example.”

After high school, Brandon took his talents to Dana College in Blair to major in computer science and play basketball and run track.  He earned his degree in 2002 and currently manages the development team at Medical Solutions, a staffing firm in Omaha. Brandon and his wife Brynn are the proud parents of a 2-year-old daughter named Elora. Please welcome, Waterloo Panther, BRANDON ELWOOD to the DC West Athletic Hall of Fame.