KatyKunc

Personal bests: 1,500m: 4:25.95 | Mile: 4:45.43 | 3k: 9:17.60 | 3k Steeple: 9:55.59 | 6k (xc): 20:18.50

• SEC Champion – 3k steeplechase (2017)
• Six-time SEC Medalist
• SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2017 Cross Country)
• First Team All-America – Cross Country (2016)
• Two-time Second Team All-America — 3k steeple (2017 and 2018)

2017-18 (Senior)
Outdoor – SEC bronze medalist in the 3k steeplechase and fourth in the 5k … NCAA finalist in the 3k steeplechase … Season-best was 9:57.72 in the NCAA semifinal … Ran on UK’s third-place 4×1500 and fourth-place DMR helping UK win the team title at the National Relay Championships in April … Won the 3k steeplechase at the Florida Relays in 10:17.40 … Opened the season with a fourth-place 1,500m at the UCF Black and Gold Challenge.
Indoor – SEC Silver medalist in the 5k and Bronze medalist in the 3k.
Cross Country – SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year … SEC Bronze Medalist for the second year in a row … NCAA Championships qualifier for the second year in a row … Finished 41st at NCAA Championships, running a 6k PR 20:12.60, finishing a spot shy of All-America honors … Ninth at NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in Charlottesville, Virginia … Fifth at the Greater Louisville Classic … Won the Bluegrass Invitational, and was named SEC Runner of the Week on Sept. 12 by virtue of that performance … third at the season-opening Eagle Opener meet.

2016-17 (Junior)
Outdoor – SEC Champion in the 3k steeplechase … NCAA Finalist and Second Team All-American in the steeplechase, running 9:55.59 in the prelims, her first time under 10 minutes … Placed 11th in the final running 10:21.68 … Won the steeplechase at Florida Relays.
Indoor -Scored in two events at the SEC Indoor Championships in February, placing fourth in the 3k and sixth in the 5k.
Cross Country – First Team All-American having placed 33rd at her first NCAA Championships … SEC Bronze Medalist … USTFCCCA All-Academic selection … All Southeast-Region for the third year in a row … Led UK to a third-place team finish at NCAA Southeast Regionals, placing a spot and point shy of making NCAAs as a team … Won three of her four outings: two home meets to begin the season and the Crimson Classic, helping Kentucky win two meets and place second at Bama … Ran a 6k PR 20:18.50 at the Texas A&M Invitational … SEC Runner of the Week Sept. 12 and Sept. 26.

2015-16 (Sophomore)
Outdoor – Seventh in the SEC 3k steeplechase final
Indoor – Ran a mile PR 4:51.89 at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite Meet.
Cross Country – USTFCCCA All-Southeast Region … USTFCCCA All-Academic selection … UK’s top runner for much of the season, she led the way for UK at the SEC Championships with a 25th-place 6k time of 20:41.0 … Season-best 6k 20:34.50 came in a 31st-place performance at the Pre-National Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky.

2014-15 (Freshman)
Outdoor – Ran 10:33.06 for second place in the steeplechase at Florida’s Tom Jones Invitational, giving her the third fastest time in school history … Placed ninth, a place short of scoring, in the steeplechase at the SEC Championships in Starkville, Mississippi with a time of 10:38.05.
Indoor – Placed fifth in the 5k at the Tyson Invitational with a personal-best time of 9:38.07 … Just missed scoring at the SEC Championships in both the 3k where she was 10th in 9:43.70 and as part of UK’s DMR placing ninth in 11:35.06.
Cross Country – SEC All-Freshman Team selection after she placed 23rd in 20:49.40 … SEC Freshman Runner of the Week on Oct. 21 after a 6k time of 21:43.20, good for 61st place at Pre-Nationals.

Prior to UK
Came to UK having competed at multiple elite levels in high school including a 19th-place finish at the prestigious Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals … She is one of the elite distance runners from Virginia, having posted the No. 3 cross country time in the state last season of 17:16.0 … In 2014 she produced the 39th-fastest 3,200m time in the country amongst preps, which ranks No. 7 in the state … 1,600m personal best of 5:07.72 helped her finish 2013 inside the national top 100 and the Virginia top 20.

Personal
Major in economics … Parents are Karl and Wendy Kunc … has a brother, Keenan … Last name is pronounced “Koonts” … Did not think she’d run in college, was instead an avid soccer player, but was unexpectedly successful in cross country and decided to pursue the sport.