Eli Zillman, the most decorated male track and field athlete in Fairfield High School history, has committed to Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa to continue his career in the high jump and long jump.
Zillman leaves Fairfield with one of the most impressive resumes in program history. He was a four-time state qualifier, a Class 3A state champion in the high jump as a sophomore in 2024, a two-time silver medalist in the high jump in 2025 and 2026, and a fifth-place finisher in the long jump at this year’s state meet. He also qualified for the prestigious Drake Relays multiple times, earning top finishes among the best in Iowa.
Zillman said the coaching staff at Indian Hills was the driving force behind his decision. “The reason I decided to choose Hills is because of the drive the coaches have — they want to win and they want to make you a better athlete,” he said. “They have a very good record of sending athletes to a top D1. They want to see you go big and they are going to hold you to it. I think it’s just the place I need.”
Indian Hills Community College track and field head coach Brent Ewing said the program has had its eye on Zillman for years. “We are thrilled to add Eli to next year’s roster,” Ewing said. “Eli is someone we’ve gotten to know well over the last three years as he’s attended several of our track and field camps. He’s an electric athlete who we feel has his best days ahead of him. We’ve had some elite level jumpers come through our program and I anticipate Eli being the next.”
Fairfield boys track and field head coach Brian Dunlap said the commitment is a natural next step for a young man who has consistently pushed himself to improve. “I think this is a great opportunity for Eli,” Dunlap said. “He has a lot of potential to jump higher at the next level. He loves the event. He is a student of the sport. I think he can do great things. I can’t wait to watch him soar. He was great for FHS track and I wish him all the best at Indian Hills.”
Fairfield assistant coach Pat Pacha, who worked closely with Zillman on his field jumping events throughout his high school career, reflected on a journey that exceeded even early expectations. “He came in as a freshman, made it to state his freshman year in the high jump, and then from there things just took off,” Pacha said. “He had a very good summer — in the summer of his freshman year, he qualified for an AAU national event.” Zillman’s sophomore season brought a state championship with a clearance of 6 feet 9 inches — nearly a full foot improvement from his freshman year. “He surprised everyone. That was very good.”
Pacha said Zillman’s back-to-back runner-up finishes in his junior and senior seasons should not be viewed as disappointments. “His last two years he got second both years, which is nothing to be ashamed of,” he said. “Many kids can’t say they ever won a state championship, let alone got second the next two years.”
Pacha expressed confidence in the program Zillman is walking into. “Coach Ewing’s done a great job down at Indian Hills,” he said. “I think Eli will go down there and help that program. We sent another jumper down there last year in Ryan Giberson, and Ousman Saine also went down there and jumped for the Warriors track program. So yeah, we’re very excited and happy for him.”
Looking ahead, Pacha said he believes Zillman has the ceiling to eventually compete at the Division I level. “He continues to improve and gets better. I know his goal is to get seven feet eventually and I think he’ll be there at Indian Hills,” he said. “And then he has all the ability in the world to go on to the next level, get to a Division I school, which I think is his goal.” Pacha also said he believes Indian Hills was the right landing spot. “It’s close to home, it’s a juco — you can go down there and prove yourself at the juco level and then you still get two years to go on and do even bigger things at the Division I level.”
Pacha also reflected on the broader impact Zillman’s journey will have on younger athletes in Fairfield. “It’s always good to have your high school athletes go on to the next level,” he said. “I think it encourages the younger kids that they can also do those same things.”
He also spoke highly of what Indian Hills head coach Ewing has built. “Coach Ewing’s built a very good program down there,” Pacha said. “The Giberson kid went down there, he did well. Tejada’s running down there now. Fairfield has produced a few assets for Indian Hills here.” He laughed at the thought. “The Fairfield-Indian Hills pipeline remains strong.”
Zillman’s commitment continues a strong recent tradition of Fairfield track and field athletes finding success at Indian Hills. Ryan Giberson and Gabe Tejada are currently competing for the Warriors, and Ousman Saine, who also went to Indian Hills after Fairfield, recently committed to transfer to the University of North Dakota — a Division I program — showing exactly the kind of pathway Zillman is hoping to follow.
