Highly touted female cross country runner, Klettke, signs with LCSC

2-11-08

Highly touted Kelsey Klettke, a senior at Prairie High School in Vancouver, Wash., has signed a letter of intent to run for the Lewis-Clark State College women’s cross country program, Warrior coach Mike Collins has announced. 

Collins says Klettke visited the LCSC campus is November and took time to consider her options. Collins says Klettke was a very sought after recruit with a lot of different potential choices.  

“We feel privileged that she has decided to continue her academic and athletic career here in Lewiston,” Collins says. “Kelsey is the epitome of the type of student-athlete we are looking for in order to continue the tradition we have here and she will no doubtedly do this and we feel very confident that she will help to improve upon that tradition.” 

Klettke’s athletic resume is very impressive.  Prior to her senior season in cross country she had qualified for the state championships all three years.  In doing so she won 20 of the 35 cross country races she competed in.  She was the State Champion in Junior Olympics for both Oregon and Washington in 2006 in cross country and placed in the top five on four different occasions in USATF Junior Olympics Track and Field in 2006.  She has personal bests of 18:03 for 3 miles in cross country and 61 seconds for 400 meters, 2:19 for 800 meters, 4:52 for 1,500 meters and 10:35 for 3,000 meters in track and field.  All of her track times would break LCSC school records at these distances. 

Collins says Klettke has a GPA or more than 3.90 and has been on the honor roll throughout her high school career. 

“In addition, we are looking for kids of great character to continue to bring into our program,” Collins says.  “Kelsey's high school coach had nothing but great things to say about her concerning her coachability, commitment to the team and her leadership among the team.  I also know that she has spent two weeks in the summer in Argentina helping at-risk kids. 

“This type of student-athlete does not come along too often and we feel we already have a team that is committed to these kinds of ideals with strong character and commitment to their academics, their team and their running.  Kelsey is going to fit in perfectly into our program.” 

The Warrior women have qualified for the NAIA national meet seven consecutive years and finished at No. 19 in the meet last season.