Track and field captain Amber Barrios turns passion into mentorship

Senior track and field captain Amber Barrios said her talent was first discovered during an elementary school field day, when her gym teacher noticed her natural speed. 

Barrios said she didn’t envision competing in college until her junior year of high school, when a Lehigh coach handed her a business card at a meet. 

She said that moment shifted her perspective. 

Coach Deb Utesch said the Mountain Hawks knew Barrios was athletic because of the events she competed in. 

“She stood out even more because of her versatility in the relays and hurdles,” she said.

Barrios said Lehigh was the first school she visited, and fell in love with it immediately.

Now a two-year captain, she competes in the 800-meter, the 4×800 relay and the distance medley relay. Her 4×800 and distance medley teams set school records this season.

Barrios said she was recruited for hurdling and the sprint middle-distance events, but an injury in high school shifted her mentality.

“When I broke my foot my senior year, I developed a bit of a mental block with hurdling,” she said. “(During) my junior year, I fully made the switch to the 800-meter races.”

As a first-year, she placed at the Patriot League Championships and earned her varsity letter in the 400-meter hurdles during the 2022-23 season. Barrios said it was a great accomplishment following a season of mental and physical challenges, but she knew she had more potential in the longer sprint events.

Utesch said her close relationship with Barrios allowed them to move her away from hurdles.

“I would say (Barrios is) much more of an attacker in the relay,” she said. “She is a person that responds to helping carry her teammates through an event.”

Since switching to middle-distance events and relays, Utesch said Barrios has overcome hesitations and excelled. Junior hurdler Mila Jovanovic said Barrios struggled with that mental block for a while, but has since been training harder than ever and performing better.

Barrios has been Jovanovic’s “big” on the team, serving as her mentor since Jovanovic was a first-year.

“Our coach sees who in your event group is best fitted to be your mentor when you come as a first-year,” Jovanovic said. “Although (Barrios) and I have both switched event groups, we still try to see each other and stay close through her mentorship.”

Barrios isn’t just a leader to Jovanovic. She also captains the women’s team alongside senior sprint and middle-distance runner Abby Klebe.

Utesch said an election is held to select captains, with the whole team nominating and voting on two captains each for the men’s and women’s teams. Barrios said being a captain is something she’s always wanted, and she enjoys the leadership aspect of the role.

“I felt really accomplished getting the captain role,” she said. “If I can have an impact on just one person, that’s a win for me.”

Barrios’ leadership extends beyond the track and field team. She’s also a member of the Student-Athlete Mentor program on campus. 

“(The Student-Athlete Mentor) program allows you to be vulnerable with other athletes, and it’s really rewarding to mentor athletes you might not usually meet outside of your events,” Barrios said.

Despite being a captain and a mentor, Barrios said her personal goals on the track haven’t changed. She wants to get on the top-10 list in the open 800-meter event, and said she believes it’s within reach.

“There was a 4×800 relay at the outdoor Patriot League Championships last year that was the fastest split (Barrios has) ever run,” Utesch said. “We were on the podium and (Barrios) was a big piece of helping us get that medal.”

Barrios’ total time for the relay at the Patriot League Championships last year was 9:09.57. 

Utesch said Barrios had an incredible breakout year in 2025 and believes she can lower her individual race times to match that performance.

“I know that I want to be remembered as a strong runner, and I definitely want to break records,” Barrios said. “Above all, I hope someday people are able to look up to me and come to me when they need help.”