THIS YEAR: Perhaps the Cougars' most-experienced distance runner, 5-time All-American Kayla Carstensen is looking to put the icing on a fine college career ... Can excel in anything from the 800 to the 5000 but will likely specialize in the steeplechase where she already had the fourth-best time in program history and is looking to break the sub-11-minute plateau for the first time in her career.
2010 (junior): Picked up 2 more All-America honors and had a hand in 14 of the Cougars' 57 points at the NAIA Indoor Championship Meet ... Ran legs on the Cougars' 4x800-meter and distance medley relays that finished third and second, respectively ... Was the GSAC runner-up in the steeplechase with a career-best 11:08.62 ... Qualified for the NAIA outdoor meet in the steeple but did not advance to the finals.
2009 (sophomore): Began to show signs of a promising collegiate career by becoming a key relay member as a 2009 sophomore and picking up her first All-America honor running a leg on the Cougars' 4x800-meter relay that finished third at the NAIA Indoor Championship Meet ... Also earned her first All-GSAC recognition with a third-place effort in the steeplechase (11:22.2h, the fifth-best effort in program history) in her first year competing in that event ... Proved her versatility by posting the team's best times in the 800 indoor time and the steeplechase.
2008 (freshman): As a 2008 freshman, joined a deep and talented Cougar distance program and used the year to adjust to a higher level of competition ... Competed in the shorter distance races and posted personal bests of 2:21.29 (800m) and 4:46.48 (1500m) ... Ran a leg in the prelims of the NAIA indoor and outdoor 4x800 (in the event finals the Cougars eventually finished second at indoors and eighth at outdoors) ... Did not compete in the GSAC Championship Meet in Azusa.
CROSS COUNTRY: Did not miss a meet in 4 seasons of running for Azusa Pacific's nationally-ranked cross country team, appearing in 24 consecutive meets, including 4 NAIA championship competition ... Earned All-GSAC recognition as a 2009 junior, finishing ninth at the conference meet while helping lead the Cougars to their third straight GSAC title ... Recorded a career-best 17:50 at the 2009 Charles Bowles Invitational in Salem, Ore., to move into Azusa Pacific's all-time top ten 5K cross country times ... Was a member of the Cougars' 2008 NAIA national championship squad, clocking a 19:20 on the national championship course in Kenosha, Wis., finishing as the No. 6 Cougar.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was home-schooled through Liberty Christian Academy ... Competed 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 track & field and the holder of several school records, Diandra, a freshman on the Cougar track & field team) ... Majoring in business.
Carstensen Career Bests
800m..........2:20.30 Mile..........5:10.27
1000m.........2:56.14 Steeplechase.11:08.62
1500m.........4:41.40
Carstensen All-America Honors
4x800m Relay (i)....2009-10
DMR (i)................2010
