The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
A long way from the cattle farm where he grew up, this Henderson County native has traveled the world this summer.
Recent trips to Germany, Kenya, and Italy over the past two months have given a new prospective on the world outside of rural Raritan, Illinois.
Grandson of the late John Brokaw, Trey Brokaw has spent most of his life in west central Illinois on his grandfather's cattle farm.
Brokaw decided to venture away from home after graduating from Monmouth-Roseville High School in 2008.
A talented runner in high school, he pursued a college degree in Education while also competing in track & field at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.
This was where Brokaw fell in love with the sport of track & field and eventually decided to pursue a career in college athletics.
"In high school I always thought I wanted to farm when I was older. I loved my Grandpa, loved being around cattle, and I loved the hard work it took in order to achieve success on the farm.
I'm thankful for my grandfather's influence because those same values he instilled in me on the farm have helped my professional career in college athletics."
Brokaw was part of a talented track & field team at Emporia State University. Their team finished as high as fourth at the Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in 2011.
After graduating from Emporia State University, Brokaw immediately started coaching cross country and track.
Entering his sixth year now, Brokaw has coached one year for his alma-mater Emporia State, three years at the University of Northern Iowa while pursuing a master's degree in Exercise Science, one year at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, and currently he works at the University of Nebraska.
"I thank God that I've been blessed with the opportunity to travel all over the United States as an athlete and now a coach.
My experiences at the University of Northern Iowa were especially important to my development as a young professional.
I met some of my closest friends there and gained a lot of valuable experience."
While coaching at Northern Iowa, Brokaw's athletes set 11 new school records, seven athletes qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championship meet, and he had one Drake Relays champion.
Last summer one of his athletes qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and finished 16th overall in the 3000 meter steeplechase. (Top three finishers represent the U.S. in the Olympics)
This summer was equally as exciting. Brokaw accepted a position with the University of Nebraska. Also as mentioned earlier, he recently got back from an overseas recruiting trip to Europe and Africa. The month long trip provided extensive time in Germany, Kenya, and Italy with short stops in Egypt, Morocco, and Iceland as well.
"A large part of my professional success so far can be attributed to my ability to recruit. That was the goal of my overseas recruiting trip. I attended international track & field competitions such as the German National Championships, the U-18 World Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, and my last stop was the U-20 European Championships in Grosseto, Italy.
Besides that I also met with club coaches and did home visits with prospective student-athletes who are interested in studying in the U.S."
Although an amazing trip, Brokaw went on to add that he is excited to be back state side.
"I'm excited to start my new chapter at the University of Nebraska. I'm grateful for the amazing opportunity to work with one of the best track & field programs in the country."