The second of five Preston High Athletic Hall of Fame recipients is Kaylyn Christopher Christopher. Kaylyn Christopher Class of 2007 – Track & Field and Cross Country “Record Breaker” is the best phrase to describe Kaylyn Christopher. She shattered barriers many young female distance runners thought impossible in the Mountain State. Kaylyn was the first high school runner to break five minutes for the 1600 meter run. She was also the first AAA athlete to run under eleven minutes for the 3200 meter run. At one point she held all-time and state meet records in every distance event contested at the high school level. These events include the individual 800, 1600, and 3200 meter runs and the 4 x 800 meter relay. Overall, Kaylyn was a nine time state champion (4 x 800 – three times, 1600 – three times, 800 – two times, and 3200 – 1 time). She was an integral part of two team state championships in track & field (2005 and 2007). The 2005 team was the first team championship for any girls sport in Preston County history. In cross country, Kaylyn was equally impressive. She was a three-time all-state athlete with two state runner-up finishes to her credit. She was part of three state runner-up teams in cross country (2004, 2005, 2006). At the close of her high school running career, Kaylyn was honored as the two-time WV Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the year (2007 and 2006) and the WV Amateur Track Athlete of the Year (the Ray McCoy Award). Although she was recruited by many of the powerhouse programs in the college ranks, she chose to stay close to home and run at West Virginia University. While at WVU, she was a two-time NCAA All American in track. She earned All American honors in the mile run (12th place, 5th US citizen) and in the Distance Medley (8th Place) at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Nationals. She was also a two-time Academic All-American and earned All Big East honors numerous times. In cross country she was a member of the 2007 Big East Champion team. While at WVU she was part of four teams that qualified for the NCAA National Championship. The highlight of her team success occurred when the Mountaineers finished fourth in the country at the 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championship. Following graduation from WVU with a degree in Journalism, Kaylyn has worked as a free-lance writer with several local newspapers and magazines. Currently, she works as a public relations specialist for the WVU School of Law and is the cross country coach at Fairmont State University. Background on Kaylyn Christopher Parents: Bill and Janet Christopher Siblings: Rob Maxwell, Kevin Maxwell, Karyn Christopher, Carson Christopher Coaches: Paul Martin, Mark Bjorkman, Brian Miller, Paul Sines (Preston); Sean Cleary (WVU) Hometown: Kingwood Favorite Athletic Moment(s) at Preston High: Individually breaking five minutes for the mile at Parkersburg South ranks high, but being part of a team state title to close out my athletic career would be the highlight.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 00:15:12 +0000
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