Tops’ Isenbarger named Honorable Mention All-American after NCAA Outdoor meet
Published 7:15 pm Saturday, June 8, 2024
- Western Kentucky graduate student Katie Isenbarger bested her own school record and won the women’s high jump at the Music City Challenge on Saturday in Nashville.
Western Kentucky graduate student Katie Isenbarger earned All-American Honorable Mention status following her performance in the women’s high jump at the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships on Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The decorated senior cleared 1.77 meters in her final meet as a Hilltopper, taking 21st place. Isenbarger is the first Hilltopper to ever compete in the women’s high jump at the outdoor championships. She is also the first woman to represent WKU at the outdoor championships since Annastacia Forrester in 2019.
“Just a little inconsistent today and couldn’t hit the big jump at the right time,” WKU coach Brent Chumbley said in a news release. “Katie had a great year and we still have one more meet at the (U.S. Olympic) Trials to cap off her stellar career.”
In her final season for WKU, Isenbarger claimed a first place finish on six occasions, etching her name in the record books, holding the program record of 1.88 meters set on April 27 at the Music City Challenge in Nashville.
Throughout her track and field career, Isenbarger took home three Conference USA titles (2019 outdoor, 2023 indoor, 2023 outdoor) and was a member of the 2024 women’s high jump group that was ranked as high as second in the nation, according to USTFCCCA.
The native of Zionsville, Indiana came to WKU in the fall of 2018 and quickly became one of the most renowned female athletes the university has ever seen. The two-sport athlete is one of a select group of Hilltoppers to earn the ranking of All-American (first team) following her finish at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. In addition, Isenbarger was named second team All-American at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, won two outdoor conference titles, one indoor conference title, four regular season volleyball conference championships and three volleyball tournament conference championships.
Some of her other accolades include six CUSA Field Athlete of the Week honors and three CUSA Track and Field All-Academic team honors.
Isenbarger will rep WKU one final time as she competes in the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 22 in Eugene, Oregon.
