Kayla Carstensen
THIS YEAR: One of the more experienced Cougars on the roster, junior Kayla Carstensen has competed in 13 meets over the past 2 seasons with 6 sub-20-minute 5Ks to her credit ... Will press to be among the Cougars' scoring 5 ... Gives Azusa Pacific great depth and could prove to be a significant difference-maker in the Cougars' team finish in several meets ... With a 5K career-best effort of 19:10, rates among Azusa Pacific's all-time top 35 runners.
2008 (sophomore): Ran in all 6 meets the Cougars competed in during her 2008 sophomore season ... Best showing came at the GSAC Championship Meet in Fresno, Calif., where she finished sixth among the Cougars and 30th overall with season-best 5K time of 19:17 ... Ran at the NAIA Championship Meet in Kenosha, Wis., finishing 140th overall with a 19:20
2007 (freshman): Recorded a fine first year of competition as the only Cougar freshman to compete at the NAIA Championship Meet in Kenosha, Wis. ... Finished 26th at the NAIA Regional Championships with a time of 19:10 for a collegiate 5K personal best ... Posted the best 5K time as a No. 5 runner among all Cougars.
TRACK & FIELD: Has competed in 4 NAIA track & field championship meets, the indoor and outdoor title meets of 2007 and 2008 ... Garnered her first-ever NAIA All-America recognition by running the second leg on the Cougars' 4x800-meter relay that finished third (9:19.97) at the 2008 indoor championships ... Ran in the open 1000 (indoor) and steeplechase (outdoor) at the 2008 NAIA championship meets, but did not advance out of the prelims ... Collected All-GSAC honors in the steeplechase, finishing third at the 2008 meet with an 11:22.2 ... Has personal-best times of 2:20.30 (800), 3:01.45 (1000), 4:41.40 (1500), 5:22.14 (mile) and 11:22.2 (steeplechase), all recorded during the 2008 season.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was home-schooled through Liberty Christian Academy ... Competed unattached in open road races and youth track & field meets.
PERSONAL: Born March 17, 1989, to Todd (electrical engineer) and Keena Carstensen ... Has 1 brother (Jared) and 2 sisters (Brianna, a former Cougar All-American in cross country and the holder of several Cougar track & field distance records, Diandra) ... Majoring in business administration.
