GIRLS' PREP TRACK & FIELD: Knox's Austin signs with Murray State (2/5)

When she moved to Fort Knox as a seventh-grader, Kiara Austin thought she had little aspirations of becoming a Division I athlete.

Josh Claywell

Fort Knox High School senior Kiara Austin signed a national letter of intent to run track for Murray State University on Friday afternoon in the Fort Knox library. Seated, from left, are dad Albert, Austin and mom Carol. Back row are Fort Knox principal Dr. Gregg Mowen, Fort Knox track coach Dena Briscoe and Fort Knox assistant principal Talisha Thompson.

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Five years later, however, that’s exactly what Austin is.

Austin signed a national letter of intent Friday afternoon in the Fort Knox High School library to run track at Murray State University.

“When I first stepped foot on a track in seventh grade, I never thought I would have any association with running in college,” Austin said. “But as the years went on, I could see myself getting better and thought I could do it.”

Austin burst on the scene as a sophomore, when she won state championships in the 100-meter hurdles and the triple jump in the Class 1-A state meet at the University of Louisville.

A bruised heel and later an ankle injury slowed Austin last season, when she won only one medal after placing second in the triple jump. That didn’t stop Murray State, which Austin said had been talking to her since September.

“It’s just wonderful,” Austin said. “I’ve always wanted to go to a D-I school. It’s one of the smaller ones, but it’s still D-I. I feel like I’ve exceeded my standards because I’ve gotten into a good school.

“I’m pretty comfortable – more comfortable than I thought I’d be,” she added. “Since it wasn’t one of the bigger D-I schools it doesn’t have a lot of hype other schools do. I was like ‘it’s just a small school.’ But once I got there, I felt like this is where I should be. I feel at home there.”

Former Fort Knox coach Karl Olive said Austin is the epitome of what an athlete should be.

“She’s just a super good kid and a good person,” Olive said. “She’s the type of athlete most coaches would like to have in their program. You like to see kids like that end up signing somewhere.”

Austin is the first Lady Eagle to sign with a D-I school since former standout Domonique Brown (Kentucky) in 2004. Like Austin, Brown excelled in the jumping events – she won the state title in the triple jump her senior season.

Austin said she owes a lot of credit to the tutelage of Olive and former hurdles standout Courtney Edwards, a 2010 graduate who’s a walk-on at LSU.

“… We were like brother and sister,” Austin said. “I still keep up with him, and he’s been motivating me. He’s coached me a lot and helped me. It’s been a really good thing that he’s been there along the way to help me and guide me.”

Austin will also join forces with one of her former rivals in Halie Holloway, a 2011 John Hardin graduate who signed with Murray State last spring.

“Besides Halie Holloway, I hadn’t met anyone there,” Austin said. “I saw Halie there, but everyone else was a new face.”

Austin picked Murray State over the University of Cumberlands and Campbellsville University. She also considered attending Kentucky, but the Racers’ offer was too good to pass up.

“They’ve been in constant contact with me since September,” Austin said. “They worked everything out with me. When I finally went there for an official visit and got to meet with (the coaches) face-to-face, we developed a good chemistry with each other. I really liked that. And I like their campus. It’s not too big or too small. It felt like the right place for me.”

Now that she’s signed, Austin can fully concentrate on her senior season and not worry about her future.

While she’s excited about what lies ahead, she doesn’t want to look too far ahead.

“My last year at Fort Knox … I want to have fun and finish accomplishing stuff I’ve started,” she said. “Yes, I’ve already signed with a school but I would like to have good, solid track season. I don’t want to throw it all away just because I’ve already signed. I still want to have a solid season and continue to get better throughout this season so I can go into Murray State better than what they expect me to be.

“I just look at it as I’ve made my decision on my future; now I need to focus on the present,” Austin added. “I want to get better and have a lot of fun. It would be nice to go to the NCAA championships, or just the conference championships. As long as I improve, I’ll be happy.”

Josh Claywell can be reached at (270) 505-1752 or at jclaywell@thenewsenterprise.com