Track and Field Athlete Takes Talent to the Next Level
By KRISTIN BECK ‘05
May 30, 2024
Presentation Academy track and field athlete Clara Kelty ’24 is taking her talents to the next level. She recently signed her letter of intent to run track at Evansville University, an NCAA Division I school.
“First and foremost, I want to say thank you to God for giving me my abilities and this opportunity to get to this point,” Kelty said to the crowd in attendance on Signing Day. “I would like to thank my family, my coaches, my teammates, my peers for motivating me and pushing me to get to this point. I would also like to say thank you to the Pres athletic administration for helping me on the recruiting path.”
Kelty has been a KHSAA Triple Threat Athlete for her entire high school career, also competing in cross country and basketball. She was also a four-time KHSAA Academic All-State First Team Award recipient.
Kelty set a school record in the 400 meter during the AAU indoor track this season and competed in the outdoor Class 1A state meet the past two seasons. She is also a member of the 4x100 team that set a new school record this season.
“You spent the last four years honing your craft, dedicating your time and energy to the sport you love and learning to balance being both a student and an athlete,” Farris said to Kelty on Signing Day. “I hope you take the skills you’ve learned over the last four years and find success at the next level.”
Pres Head Track Coach and Assistant Athletic Director Julia Vogt ’17 said she has seen tremendous growth in Kelty over her past two seasons as head coach. “There’s not enough I can say about her being a leader on this team for us. I can always trust her to lead the practices, lead the stretches, make sure the girls are on track.”
She is committed to the team and pushing her teammates to improve, Vogt said, adding that several freshmen have told her how Kelty’s advice has helped them run faster this season. Vogt said that while Kelty does focus on her individual events, she also shows her commitment to putting the team first by competing in additional events to help the team’s overall score.
Assistant Track Coach Monshea Weaver said Kelty is “rare to come by” as a person. “It’s a bittersweet moment to see you excel to the next level. That’s how it works in order to not be complacent, if you want to be successful. You have to keep grinding for more if you want more, and that’s what I’ve seen you do every time,” he said. “I wish you all the glory and happiness at this next level.”
Kelty said Weaver has been the coach who has helped her the most as an athlete. “Every day at practice he gives me a different workout and he pushes me a lot,” she said. Coach Weaver has always been very motivating and encouraging, she said. He also helped her join the AAU indoor track team this fall.
Another favorite coach was Pres Assistant Basketball Coach Jim Nauert. “Freshman year I was really quiet and shy and didn’t want to talk to anyone, but Jim kind of got me out of my shell,” Kelty said. He has also been very supportive and motivating over the past four years.
Kelty, a Stephen Martyr alum, began running cross country in fourth grade. She didn’t want to run track at first, but her cross country coaches convinced her to try it out. “I just fell in love with it. It’s definitely my favorite sport.”
Compared to cross country, Kelty said she prefers running on flat ground as opposed to hills. She also likes that you can run in different events or compete in field events rather than only running long distances at cross country meets.
Her favorite track memory came last season when Pres competed in the North Central Kentucky Track Conference Championship at Henry County. Kelty was the anchor on the 4x400 team and the team was about 200 meters behind. But when she got the baton, she quickly made up ground and ended up out-sprinting the Henry County runner to give Pres third place. “Everyone was screaming because it was such a close race!”
As a freshman, Kelty said she was already thinking ahead to her collegiate career. She follows several runners on Instagram and enjoys watching running videos. During sophomore year, she talked to fellow Pres runner then-junior Ta’Mya Davis ’23, who was also aiming to run in college. Davis signed with Campbellsville University’s track team last fall. Kelty chose Evansville because of its close-knit feeling and because she really liked the head coach.
For her future career, Kelty said she has always been interested in the medical field but wasn’t sure on a specific area until she toured Evansville. The school offers a three-year, full-time Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Program, and Kelty said she wants to major in nursing and then become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in pediatrics.
To those underclassmen interested in playing sports in college, Kelty recommends talking to the Pres athletic department for help getting registered on the NCAA recruitment website and exploring colleges. For those interested in cross country or track, she said, determine what division of college you want to pursue and then look at the finishing times so you can set goals for yourself.
“I wanted to go Division I so I tried to get my PRs to get to D1 times and work towards those goals,” Kelty said. “… It’s a lot of hard work but it’s definitely possible for anyone.”