Hilltopper Women’s High Jump team ranked 19th best in the nation

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WKU SPORTS) – WKU’s Track and Field women’s high jump team is ranked No. 19 in the nation according to the USTFCCCA. The ranking was released following the team’s outstanding performance in the 2024 Conference USA Indoor Championships.

The No. 19 overall ranking is the highest in CUSA and second in the Southeast. Following the weekend’s events, the team moved up five spots to crack the Top 20.

“I think what the women have done during the indoor season is incredible,” head coach Brent Chumbley said. “Especially when you consider that only one of the four trains specifically for High Jump. Emilia Lesniak is a high jumper while Grace Turner is a pole vaulter that hgh jumps and Rachel Payne and Netanya Linares are multi-athletes that jump, along with their other six events. At the end of the day, every one of these women shows up to compete. They all want to be the best jumper on the team. I couldn’t be more proud of what they have done this season. We hope to finish even higher on the national list when we get to add Katie Isenbarger, another full time high jumper, to the roster for outdoor season.”

The high jump group is led by Emilia Lesniak, who won the CUSA Championship with a 1.75m clearance to claim the crown. She became the second straight Hilltopper high jumper to win at the CUSA Indoor meet after Isenbarger did so last year. During the indoor season, Lesniak had four, top-five finishes, including a pair of victories.

Grace Turner also made a tremendous impact on the women’s team during the indoor season. Her campaign was highlighted by a pair of top-three finishes including a second place finish at the CUSA Championships, only behind Lesniak.

Linares and Payne both competed in the pentathlon at CUSA Championships. Linares managed a podium finish, aided by a pair of second-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles and 800-meter race. Payne took home seventh with her finish being capped by a top-five PR in the high jump, clearing 1.67 meters and claiming fourth place.

The high jump squad looks to be bolstered even more with the addition of CUSA Champion high jumper Katie Isenbarger for the 2024 outdoor campaign.