Kemarah Howard Earns SEC Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year Honors

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kentucky freshman Kemarah Howard has earned her first career SEC honor by winning the Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year award, per the release from the conference office Monday afternoon.

Just two weeks ago, Howard qualified for the NCAA Championships on home turf at the NCAA East First Round. She posted the best qualifying mark at 1.82m/5-11.5 to punch her ticket to Eugene, featuring as one of 22 individual qualifiers for the Wildcats.

During the indoor portion of the schedule, Howard won her first career SEC title in the women’s high jump final in College Station, clearing a final height of 1.87m/6-1.5 to claim the gold medal. That mark ranks as the second-best jump in Kentucky program history behind school record holder Ellen Ekholm at 1.91m/6-03.25.

At the SEC Outdoor Championships in Auburn, Howard completed the sweep of the women’s high jump events for the 2026 season. Howard became just the first true freshman to accomplish this feat in SEC history.

Howard has also set a new UK women’s indoor and outdoor freshman record in route to an incredible freshman season in Lexington.

Heading into the final week of the collegiate season, the Wildcat freshman ranks in a three-way tie for second in the national women’s high jump rankings with her season-best mark of 1.90m/6-2.75.

Howard and the Wildcats are set to begin competition this week at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday, June 10 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

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