Kelby Jenkins

Kelby Jenkins developed into a record-setting cross-country runner at the University of Evansville after taking up high-school cross country only in her senior year. A longtime soccer and track athlete at Frankfort High School, she went on to earn two Missouri Valley Conference all-conference selections at Evansville. Her senior season included four race victories and a school 5K record of 17:27.27 in her final home race. [1]

Her collegiate progression also included taking 51 seconds off Evansville’s 6K record at the 2012 NCAA Great Lakes Regional, where she finished 33rd. The university later recognized her with its Lois Patton Award for a top senior student-athlete. That combination of a relatively late start in cross country and sustained improvement in college provides the background to her later road-running career. [2][3]